Following the shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good committed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, hundreds of students walked out in protest on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Led by Charlotte Hackett ‘26, Klarissa Yu ‘26, and Maddie Raih ‘26 along with parent observers, the large body of students walked out at 2:00 p.m. and made their way over to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. There, they surrounded the sculpture Okciyapi (Help Each Other in Dakota), created by artist Angela Two Stars, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Once gathered around the sculpture, student organizers shared reasons for the walkout as well as personal stories and connections to the violence that continues to plague Minneapolis.
Yu, a main organizer of the protest, described, “Two weeks ago going to my own protest out of Minneapolis…really showed me how important it is for the community to stand together.” She continued, “going to that protest made me really re-think how much of an impact we as a small school can make,” prompting her to get together with other students and parents to plan the protest.
One student protester, Aryanna Rossi ‘26, shared her story using one of the megaphones. “I come from a family of immigrants, and half of them are brown, so I am very scared for my family,” she said to the crowd, “This is deeply personal to me because most of them have accents and it’s just very scary.” Rossi, who works at a Mexican restaurant, noted, “Some of the people I work with that I’m friends with just haven’t showed up.” She continued, “I don’t know what happened to them.”
Following the gathering, the group walked up to the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, which crosses over Interstate 94. Upon reaching the top, they stopped and held up their signs, shouting anti-ICE chants. Cars in support honked, and those passing by cheered.
Parents in yellow vests were also involved with the protest, providing extra gloves, handwarmers, and other winter necessities to ensure students had what they needed to stay warm and safe. Molly, a parent supporter who observed the walkout, stated, “I heard from student leaders that they wanted to plan a walkout, and I wanted to make sure that students were able to do that in the most community-supported way.” She said, “[I] connected with some other parents and we formed a group,” aiming to back students’ rights to free speech and be “eyes on the ground security.” Another parent, Kelly Basgen, noted that the walkout was “a way that students can show what they believe in to others,” describing it as “walking the talk.”
Along with other faculty, Upper School Assistant Director Sarah Warren watched students as they left school grounds. She commented, “I appreciate students taking ownership of something that matters to them.”
One year into President Donald Trump’s second term has brought numerous changes to the structure and operations of federal law enforcement. To impose his promised crackdown on immigration in the US, President Trump has increased the size and operations of ICE. Escalation of the federal agency’s presence has brought on immense backlash and opposition, especially in Minneapolis. With two deaths and numerous detentions, many are choosing to respond with peaceful protests and observations of ICE actions. However, these nonviolent events have not been proven to result in pleasant interactions between protesters and the federal agency. The casualties agents representing ICE have caused continue to elicit both student and community protests and walkouts.
