Hundreds of students walk out of Fresno schools to protest mass deportations. ‘It affects us’
Hundreds of students at McLane and Duncan Polytechnical high schools walked out of their campuses midday Friday and marched on Cedar Avenue in protest of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The walkout signals growing student activism and tension in Fresno Unified against potential mass deportations in the Central Valley. On Monday, about 19,000 students across Fresno Unified schools skipped school for the nationwide “day without immigrants” protest.
About noon Friday, students gathered at the intersection of Cedar and Shields avenues, waving Mexican flags and signs that read, “No human being is illegal” and “Education not deportation.” Passing motorists honked in support of the students throughout their northbound march on Cedar Avenue.
Students told The Bee that the walkout was spontaneously planned on social media the prior afternoon.
“When I saw people walking out, I walked out too,” said Anthony Hernandez, a junior at McLane High. “It’s not right that ICE is just going around and picking up people. It’s all messed up.”
Mikayla Villanueva, a McLane High senior, said she learned about the planned walkout after a friend posted about it on Instagram. She decided to join because most of her family members are immigrants and she thought it would be a good way to support her community.
“Most of our population is Hispanic too. We are trying to keep the peace, but as well as making sure our voices are heard,” said Villanueva.
Villanueva also participated in Monday’s protest. The threat of deportation is a “constant” conversation topic among students at school, she said.
“Our school didn’t want us to do the walkout, they preferred us to stay on campus and protest in the school area,” said Villanueva. “But we don’t see or feel that our voices are heard as much when we’re just in school.”
District staff and police officers followed the march to keep students safe at crosswalks and intersections along the busy corridor. The group marched on Cedar Avenue from Shields to Ashlan Avenue, then turned around and walked back to school, with a handful of students continuing north to Fresno State.
“Our students have their First Amendment right to protest and we respect that. For safety reasons, we try to encourage them to voice their opinions on campus, but when they decide to leave campus, we will not infringe on their rights,” said Fresno Unified spokesperson Nikki Henry.
It’s unclear how the student walkout will impact the district’s attendance-based state funding, though Fresno Unified has already taken a financial hit from Monday’s spike in absences. That day’s roughly 30% student absence rate resulted in an estimated loss of $994,000 in funding, according to the district.
Parents also joined the student-led march. Magali Acevedo, a mom of Duncan Polytechnical senior Samantha Alvarado, accompanied her daughter as she carried the Mexican flag.
“This is a way to express ourselves and to let people know,” Acevedo said. “Most of our parents here are immigrants, it (deportation) affects us.”
Alvarado said she has classmates with undocumented parents, and they’re always afraid if they come home and can’t find their parents.
“Everybody has the right to have a better life, and a lot of immigrants come to the United States to have a better life and give a better life for their next generation,” said Alvarado.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM.
