U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, is a federal agency that enforces immigration laws across the United States. ICE is responsible for finding, detaining and deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally.
The agency works under the Department of Homeland Security. Right now immigration enforcement policies are led by President Donald Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem. Because of this, immigration has continued to be a major issue across the country, including in local communities like Glendale.
On February 10, 2026, hundreds of students at Glendale High School walked out of their classes to protest ICE and speak out about how immigration policies are affecting students and families. The walkout was planned by students who felt like their voices were not being heard and that something needed to happen.
Junior Allison Rodriguez Martinez, one of the student organizers, said she decided to take action because “we were waiting on it and no one was taking initiative.” She explained that it felt like students needed to step up instead of staying quiet.
Allison said that this protest was meant to be a powerful statement. “I wanted the city of Glendale to see how [ICE is] affecting their students.” She added that “our own students get deported,” and immigration enforcement is impacting families in our community. She said the main goal of the walkout was spreading awareness and showing that this is not just something on the news. It affects people that we actually know.
Allison said that organizing the walkout took “lots of effort [and] lots of meetings.” They worked directly with Glendale principal, Dr. Lynette Ohanian, and our school resource officer, because safety was their biggest concern.
Allison said that some people disagreed with their plan, but they stayed focused on what they believed was right. Around twenty-six student leaders helped with crowd control to make sure everything stayed peaceful.
Allison said that the message students wanted to send was that “students want ICE out” and that it is “not a good thing.” She also said people should remember that this protest “was a group project,” not just the effort of one person.
Another student organizer, sophomore Charlie Toledo Olivares, said he believed from the beginning that a peaceful protest like this could happen. “I knew that it would be a hard feat to come by,” he said. “But I knew if I wanted something done in this city, then I along with others will take the initiative and put our voices out there.” He said they “needed to speak out against ICE” and show that many students in Glendale are against what is happening.
Charlie said he hoped to “rightfully protest peacefully and safely” and gain support from the city and from their own school. He explained that no teachers helped organize the event, but they asked for classroom space to hold meetings and chose to cooperate with school administration to keep things safe.
Charlie said that one of the biggest factors was word of mouth. “Just knowing people, that know people, that know people,” helped get everything started. They began by asking friends if they would participate.
After their first meeting, they created an Instagram page and it started “blowing up.” At one point they even announced they were not going to walk off campus, but after more discussion, they decided to move forward and sent their plans to the school administration, so there could be supervision and blocked streets.
“The message I wanted the students to convey is that we students here at GHS have a voice and we can make a difference,” Charlie said. He added that “doing something is better than nothing.”
Charlie believes people should remember that “it’s possible” to positively impact the world around you, “no matter how young or how small you feel.” According to him, the walkout made a difference by “creating a disturbance” and showing that students were serious about what they believe.
In the end, the GHS walkout on February 10th showed that our students are paying attention to what is happening in the country and in their own city. Whether people agree or disagree with this protest, it has started conversations and brought attention to immigration issues in Glendale.
As Allison and Charlie have both made clear, students do not have to stay quiet when something affects their community.
