Texas Students Protest ICE, Face Discipline Amidst State Crackdown

Student Walkouts and Protests

• ⚡ Students in North Texas are holding walkouts and protests against federal immigration enforcement by ICE.
• 📣 Protesters are chanting for those who have been harmed by ICE, with one student stating that each protester represents someone killed or harmed by ICE.
• 🗓️ These demonstrations follow a series of student rallies across Texas, including one near Austin that resulted in a physical altercation.

State Response and TEA Guidelines

• 🏛️ Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to investigate the student walkouts.
• 📝 The TEA has issued new guidelines for school districts, outlining consequences for students participating in walkouts and for staff members who encourage them.
• 🚫 The guidelines reportedly call for marking participating students with an unexcused absence and investigating teachers, with potential overreach into districts that facilitate such walkouts.

Union and Student Perspectives

• ✊ The President of Alliance AFT, a union for Dallas ISD non-admin employees, described the TEA's actions as a "bullying tactic".
• 🗣️ This union representative believes student walkouts should be viewed as a civics lesson and that students have a First Amendment right to express themselves.
• ⚖️ A student protester expressed solidarity, stating that citizens and immigrants who have worked hard for the country are dying, and that the current situation is unjust.

School District Accountability

• 🏫 A spokesperson for Northwest ISD stated that students involved in the walkout will be held accountable for disrupting class.
• ✉️ The district indicated that better options exist for students to express their personal views, as mentioned in a letter.