Two Poston Junior High students were arrested Friday during an anti-ICE protest in Mesa, according to police. One student was booked into the Durango juvenile detention facility after officers alleged she threw an item at an officer, while a second juvenile was released with a referral to Maricopa County juvenile court. The arrests unfolded as student walkouts and demonstrations rippled across the Phoenix area on Friday.
What Mesa police say
According to 12News, Mesa police said officers saw protesters throwing objects at officers and made arrests while trying to gain control of the scene. Witnesses told reporters an officer put a girl on the ground while taking her into custody. The outlet reported one juvenile was booked into Durango and the other was released with a plan to be referred to juvenile court.
Valley-wide walkouts
Arizona’s Family documented widespread participation across the Valley, including marches and student walkouts at Arizona State University, the state Capitol and several high schools. Organizers framed the actions as part of a nationwide “ICE Out” strike aimed at protesting federal immigration enforcement.
Durango detention and the juvenile process
Maricopa County operates the Durango Juvenile Court Center and detention facility, which houses youth who are awaiting court proceedings, and the county’s juvenile system manages delinquency referrals and related probation matters. The county’s juvenile procedures also restrict what can be made public about juvenile cases, in line with policies from the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Because juvenile records and hearings are handled differently from adult cases, public information about charges and court dates is often limited until filings are entered into the juvenile system. The arrests have added local scrutiny to how schools, parents and police navigate student protests, a tension that has surfaced at demonstrations across Arizona this week, as reported by KJZZ…