Maryland high school students walk out in protest of classmate's deportation
Hundreds of Montgomery Blair High School students staged a walkout Thursday to protest the reported deportation of a fellow student.
The student, believed to be a junior, was detained by ICE agents earlier this month.
SILVER SPRING, Md. - Hundreds of students at Montgomery Blair High School walked out of class Thursday afternoon to protest the recent deportation of a classmate, reportedly a junior, to Guatemala.
What we know
The protest was organized by the school's chapter of Students for Asylum and Immigration Reform (Students FAIR), a student-led group advocating for immigrant rights across Montgomery County.
In a social media post, the group thanked participants and stated that "no one should live in fear, and no one should be taken from their community without due process."
The demonstration began near the school's front loop, with students marching around the parking lot as community members lined the sidewalks holding supportive signs. One sign read, "No human is illegal."
Other students opened their class windows and waved in support.
MORE: ICE to deploy tactical units to Northern Virginia and 4 other cities, sources say
Dig deeper
Montgomery Blair High School is Maryland's largest public high school, serving almost 3,200 students. According to the Washington Post, about 38 percent of its student body is Hispanic and Latino.
While details remain limited, MBHS administrators confirmed the student was not detained on campus. A school staff member told local reporters the student was 18. Due to privacy concerns, neither the school district nor students have publicly identified the individual.
MBHS administrators notified families ahead of the protest, noting that Montgomery County Police would be on site for safety. Officers were seen blocking off entrances and monitoring the march.
The walkout comes amid nationwide concerns about immigration enforcement.
The Source
This story includes information from The Washington Post and FOX 5 reporting
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