Kern High School students walked out of class Tuesday morning to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one of two anti-ICE demonstrations held in downtown Bakersfield the same day.
The morning walkout was organized by the group Organizing for a Better Change and brought students to the Kern County Superior Court. A separate demonstration later that day, billed as the “Free America Walkout,” was hosted by a coalition of community and advocacy groups, including Working Families Power, the Dolores Huerta Action Fund, Democratic Women of Kern, and the Women’s March.
The protests come nearly a year after large-scale ICE raids in Kern County in January 2025. The enforcement activity spanned several days and resulted in the detention of 78 people.
(Left photo) Ariana Gonzales, sophomore, holds a sign during a student walkout Tuesday morning in downtown Bakersfield to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Right photo) Daniel Montero, a senior, with his sign. …