Recent data reveals that academic performance in high schools permitting students to leave class for protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has suffered. In response to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Petty in Minneapolis, there were nationwide student walkouts opposing the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Some districts even closed their schools for these protests.
The Student Union organized a “national shutdown” from January 30 to February 3, inspired by earlier demonstrations in Minneapolis, urging Americans to skip school and work and boycott shopping as a stand against ICE operations.
As students engage in marches nationwide, troublingly, some high schools involved are showing lower academic performance in math and English compared to state averages. For instance, at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, students walked out on a Tuesday protest. Local media captured students rallying alongside city councilors, with one student expressing the significance of their actions, stating, “They can’t really stop us from making our voices heard.”
However, recent report card data for North Central shows only 14% of students proficient in math and 24% proficient in English, alongside an attendance rate below 70%. While local school policy prohibits leaving campus without authorization, the school district has shown support for students addressing social issues.
Meanwhile, Roosevelt High School in Chicago had its own protest, where students joined others to call for an end to ICE operations. Reportedly, only 7% of Roosevelt’s students are proficient in math, significantly below the state average. The Chicago Teachers Union criticized the Trump administration over recent enforcement actions and called for an end to ICE operations in the city, even as they faced scrutiny for their social justice initiatives amidst declining student proficiency.
Tolleson Union High School in Arizona also participated in protests last Friday, yet their data reflects only 14% math proficiency and 20% in English. Similarly, Fresno High School in California had hundreds of students march in protest, but state data indicates low performance in academics—9.46% proficient in math and 37.94% in English.
Administrators from several schools, including Roosevelt and Fresno High School, have not yet responded to requests for comment on these issues.
