Hundreds of Fullerton Joint Union High School District students from La Habra and Sonora high schools left classes and marched to La Habra City Hall on January 30, joining the National Shutdown Day of Action. A smaller demonstration by Fullerton High School students was held on the corner of Harbor and Chapman later in the day. The protests organized by students in over 200 cities across 47 states was in response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in their own towns and the tragic murders of two US citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Participants called for the abolishment of ICE and emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform and justice.
Students at San Clemente High School also joined in, staging a protest from noon until 3 pm. In Huntington Beach, students marched from their campus to the pier along Main Street, with a strong turnout. There were also demonstrations in Santa Ana and Long Beach, reflecting widespread concerns over immigration enforcement practices across the county.
One protester captured the sentiments of many, stating, “People are outraged that ICE is brutalizing individuals who are not even resisting arrest. They are tearing families apart without allowing them to track each other’s locations, and they are harassing U.S. citizens who resemble their targets. This situation goes far beyond simply ‘protecting our borders and enforcing the law.’”…