The current ICE raids on the Mexican American community and the immigration policies of the Trump administration sparked walkouts from high schools in Los Angeles. The walkout echoed the iconic 1968 Chicano students’ walkout from classrooms in East Los Angeles. The student movement demanded respect, dignity, and a better future. They faced police brutality and challenged the systemic racism and discrimination that inspired similar movements across the nation.

Students coordinated on social media to start their walkout at 10:30 A.M. This event caught school administrators off guard. Within minutes, hundreds of students marched toward Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, where they gathered with students from other high schools to march together to City Hall.The students protested throughout the week, and by Friday, students from high schools in Los Angeles and nearby areas such as Santa Monica and Pasadena had walked out of class to join the demonstration.