Hundreds of students at multiple Fresno high schools walk out in anti-ICE protests
Hundreds of students from multiple Fresno Unified high schools walked out of their campuses midday Friday to join the anti-ICE “national shutdown” protest.
About 300 students walked out of Fresno High School after lunch period and marched toward the Tower District and downtown Fresno, carrying signs and chanting, “ICE out of Fresno.”
At Sunnyside High School, more than 200 students walked out of campus, as well. It’s unclear how many high schools in Fresno Unified experienced student walkouts Friday, though police responded to a separate student walkout near Dakota and Cedar avenues early Friday afternoon.
By 2:45 p.m. Friday, the large crowd of Fresno High students arrived at the Fresno Unified administrative building on Tulare Street in downtown Fresno. Trailed by police officers and school administrators, the students marched on Olive Avenue in the Tower District. They chanted, “We skipped our lessons to teach you a lesson,” and, “Stand by your neighbors, stand by your friends.”
The walkouts are the latest example of student activism that’s taken hold in Fresno since the Trump administration launched its deportation crackdown last year. The walkouts coincide with a national general strike to oppose mass deportations and the closure several local small businesses in solidarity with the nationwide protests.
Fresno Unified attempted to preempt student absences and urged students to attend school on Friday or risk an unexcused absence. But students who walked out of Fresno High told The Bee they felt compelled to walk out in the face of the escalating violence in Minneapolis, particularly the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and Border Patrol agents.
Nivri Parnell, 17, said this was her first time participating in a protest, but student voices had to be heard, she said. Parnell was holding a sign on her physics notebook that read “I prefer my ice crushed.”
“This is a free country,” Parnell said. “And when [that freedom is threatened], we have to use our voices, we have to fight.”
At around 2 p.m., student protesters temporarily blocked traffic along Olive Avenue and Van Ness Avenue in Tower District. Fresno Police patrol directed students to stay out of the street and remain on the sidewalk. Several cars honked in support of the students.
Rachel Valdez, a parent, filmed the walkout from across Olive Avenue as she walked towards the Dollar Tree in Tower..
“I think it’s awesome they’re getting involved,” she said.
Some students told The Bee they were marching because their families are immigrants. One student said his aunt had been recently deported. Others said they just wanted to get out of class.
Renee Rivera, a junior at Fresno High, said she came out to protest because ICE is arresting innocent people.
“I came out here to support my people,” she said.
Around 3 p.m., a school bus arrived at the district’s administrative building downtown to take students back to Fresno High.
Some Fresno Unified high schools, such as Edison High, did not experience student walkouts, though some opted to stay home from school Friday.
A state law, Senate Bill 955, permits middle and high school students one day-long excused absence per school year to participate in a civic or political event, including protests, strikes, and rallies. It’s unclear how much the student walkouts and absences will cost the district in state funding, which is calculated based on students’ average daily attendance.
The school district said in a statement Friday afternoon that it urged students to stay in school and peacefully demonstrate on campus, but acknowledged staff are not able to stop students from leaving campus if they choose to leave. School staffers worked with police at walkouts to keep students out of traffic, according to the district.
“We are proud of our students today for following directions, and expressing their voices in a peaceful and respectful manner,” Fresno Unified said in its statement.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 2:57 PM.
