Fresno-area superintendents urge students to end anti-ICE walkouts, stay in school
A group of 10 superintendents urged students to end the series of walkouts protesting ICE and President Trump’s deportation crackdown over the weekend as more walkouts are rumored for this week.
Addressed to parents, the superintendents said in their letter Saturday evening that there are safety risks involved when students leave campus to protest.
“Students who are off campus during the school day are without supervision and at risk of accident or injury. We have also heard that some students are being approached online by adults outside the school community to organize protests, further increasing safety risks,” the letter reads.
Instead, the administrators urged students to utilize on-campus spaces to express their opinions.
They asked parents to speak with their children about the importance of remaining in class.
“Your partnership is essential in helping us ensure both the safety and academic success of every student,” the letter reads.
Fresno County Superintendent Michele Cantwell-Copher signed the letter, as well as Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her and Clovis Unified Superintendent Corrine Folmer. Leaders of Sanger Unified, Central Unified, Washington Unified, Parlier Unified, Kerman Unified, Westside Elementary and Golden Plains Unified also signed the letter.
The open letter followed ongoing student protests across the county. They began on Jan. 30, the day of a national, general strike against ICE, and have continued since in multiple school districts.
Last week, Bullard High students marched to Fashion Fair Mall, while Edison High and Roosevelt High students marched to Fresno City Hall.
Other walkouts were coordinated in Clovis, Madera and other parts of the area.
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 2:27 PM.
