What’s at stake:
High school students in northeast Fresno are protesting immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Hundreds of students walked out of Hoover High School on Monday to demonstrate against federal immigration enforcement locally and across the nation.
Students marched down North First Street from the high school towards Fashion Fair, accompanied by school staff. Many held signs admonishing ICE and the Trump Administration.
Mia Hernandez, a senior, said she was protesting the administration’s actions to silence people affected by immigration enforcement.
“I feel that we are continuing to watch the desecration of the Constitution that we have all looked up to as children, and as we are leaving high school, we are seeing it,” Mia Hernandez said in an interview with Fresnoland.
She also explained that the walk-out isn’t for fun and criticized those who believe the protest to be an excuse to miss school.
“I think it is hypocrisy and I think it is idiotic to believe that just because we are young and because we have been silenced for all of our life means that we don’t know what we’re talking about,” Mia Hernandez said. “We have watched the government and we have watched millions of our own be damaged [from] the actions in Congress.”
Other students echoed Hernandez’s sentiment.
“We’re not here because we want to ditch or because we have a bit of fun; we’re here because some of our friends could be gone the next day,” said Montana Snavely, a junior.
Snavely, along with students Joesies Padilla and Luis Villegas, carried a Mexican flag during the demonstration.
All three students said they knew someone who was an immigrant and all three shared their anger at the possibility that their own friends or families could be deported, even if no crime is committed.
“They have been here for over 20 plus years, never had a ticket, not one crime, and people who actually have crimes are not getting deported and I think that’s very unfair,” Villegas explained when talking about his family.
Another student, Ezekiel Hernandez, was joined by his brother for the walk-out. Hernandez said that, on top of the abuse of power by ICE, he feels President Donald Trump’s actions constitute a need to remove him from office.
“I’m not gonna lie, they need to boot him out,” Ezekiel Hernandez said.
Ezekiel Hernandez said he knows people who are living in constant fear of ICE enforcement.
“I have a couple friends are scared because they don’t have their visa no more, so they’re trying to renew that,” he said.
Students say there is a need for more demonstrations across school.
“Keep on fighting, because soon people will finally listen and they will keep fighting with you,” Padilla said.
“I agree, because if more schools continue doing this, we will be heard and we will have justice for other immigrants who are scared to speak up,” Villegas said.
“One-hundred percent, this is how we show our voice. If we don’t do this, then how? How are we going to change anything?” Snavely said.
“I think we should all just be a part of it,” said Mia Hernandez, “and we should not be silent, because this is not about politics anymore, this is about humanity.”
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