Hundreds of students from high schools across Lake and McHenry counties walked out on Monday to protest federal immigration enforcement and the Trump administration, with more walkouts planned in the coming days.
Students from the Grayslake North, Grayslake Central, Round Lake, Crystal Lake Central and Wauconda high schools organized their own protests and walked out of school on Monday to oppose federal immigration enforcement and the Trump administration.
The Grayslake and Round Lake students walked from their schools to the Meijer and former Regal Cinema parking lots off of Rollins Road and Civic Center Way in Round Lake Beach.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office – as well as the Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Villa and Wauconda police departments – assisted Round Lake Beach Police with ensuring the safety of the students, like helping control traffic when the students were walking along the road.
Around 100 Crystal Lake students walked to the area of Route 14 and Main Street.
The Island Lake Police Department posted on their Facebook page at around 12:40 p.m. notifying residents that 100-200 high school students were walking down Route 176 towards South River Road in Island Lake.
Students held signs like “We Speak For Those Who Can’t,” “Hate Does Not Make America Great,” “No One Is Illegal On Stolen Land,” and “ICE OUT.”
Some students were even seen carpooling and waving signs and flags out of their windows.
“F–k ICE, we want ICE out of our city, out of our state, out of our country,” a Grayslake North High School student told a Lake & McHenry County Scanner reporter.
A Round Lake High School student holding an “Abolish ICE” sign said that she and her peers are “speaking up for the ones who can’t.”
She said her teachers were supportive and helped ensure the safety of the students.
Another Round Lake student was protesting in support of her mother, who is an immigrant, and said that “this is not the kind of future anyone in my generation, before and after, deserves.”
“It is unfair how we’re being treated, how we’re being separated from our families, how we’re being mistreated as inhumane,” she said. “ICE is just another form of the KKK.”
A Grayslake North High School student said the turnout was “great,” crediting the collaboration with other high schools in the area.
A Round Lake High School student said that some students who went back to school after walking out received detentions and suspensions, which she called “unfair.”
Many of the students who were interviewed were hopeful they could organize and participate in further protests and walkouts in the future.
Two of the organizers for the Grayslake North High School walkout said they posted about the event on Instagram just a few days prior, and it quickly spread throughout the school.
School officials across both counties emphasized that their priority was to ensure the safety of students and staff and to coordinate with local law enforcement.
“District 127’s priority during the walk-out this morning was the safety and security of all students and staff,” Grayslake Community High School District 127 Superintendent Dr. Mikkel Storaasli.
Round Lake Area Schools District 116 confirmed that around 300 Round Lake High School students participated in the walkout.
Community High School District 155 in Crystal Lake told staff and families in an email that staff supervised the students while they were on school property and coordinated with local law enforcement to ensure safety.
“We will not encourage or discourage students from participating,” District 155 said.
Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 Interim Co-Superintendents Todd Leden and Brian Wegley told parents that the school learned of the potential walkout over the weekend.
Wauconda High School administration offered students to stay on campus, but some students continued to participate in the Monday walkout.
“The administration maintained an environment that respected students’ constitutional rights. While Wauconda High School and District 118 acknowledge our students’ rights to express their views through civic action, the administration and staff remain non-partisan and do not endorse any specific political cause,” the co-superintendents said.
School officials added that students who walked out of school were disciplined according to their respective student handbook policies.
Last Friday, high school students in Waukegan and Zion also walked out.
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Superintendent Theresa Plascencia emphasized in a letter to parents and staff that the protests were student-led.
“At this time, we want to be very clear that any additional protests, walkouts, or similar activities that students may be discussing or planning are not sanctioned, approved, or supported by any school or by the district,” Plascencia said.
“Our expectation moving forward is that the school day remains focused on learning, safety, and normal operations,” the superintendent added.
The walkouts in Lake and McHenry counties come amid other student-led protests across the country.
Students from other high schools in the area are continuing to plan and organize walkouts to be held later this week.