More than 300 Jesuit High School students walked out of class Friday afternoon to protest U.S. immigration policies, defying warnings from Principal Khalid Maxie that they would face consequences.
On Friday, January 30, protests against Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement( ICE) occurred all across the nation. Boycotts of work, school, and even shopping were arranged to establish an “economic blackout.”
In response to this blackout, at 1:20 p.m. Jesuit students of all grades walked out of their 5th period classes. Students met in Hayes Plaza where senior Jai-Lani Villatoro and junior Evelyn Lara Roque spoke about their own experiences regarding ICE.
Senior Jai-Lani Villatoro emphasized the importance of student action during the walkout.
“We are making a difference by shifting our silence to action. Our presence matters. Our voice matters. And our refusal to look away matters.”
Following the meeting, students marched from Hayes to the street of Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway to peacefully protest.
The day before the planned walkout, Principal Khalid Maxie emailed students acknowledging the planned protest.
In the message, he wrote, “We respect the compassion behind that desire,” but also emphasized that “Jesuit High School does not condone disruptions to the learning environment during the academic day.”
When asked about the level of disruption in Dr. Shu’s fifth period math class he shared that it was equal to everyday classroom distractions, even with seven students leaving.
“I didn’t see a difference in the distraction between students going to the bathroom vs walking out. If anything, a student leaving to use the bathroom and coming back creates more of a disruption,” Shu said.
Maxie also warned that any student who left class at 1:20 p.m. would receive an “unexcused absence” and “appropriate consequences.” The email repeatedly framed the issue around maintaining order and ensuring student safety, stating, “Our primary concern is your safety.”
For varsity basketball athletes Omri Brown, CC Forney, and Kira Khouri, they were protesting after school until they had to leave for their team dinner and game.
“We are taught at Jesuit to be men and women for others, so even if it doesn’t affect me directly, it’s important to speak up for those who can’t and are directly affected by it. Also, through having an immigrant father who came here in search of a better future, not to cause harm to society, I’ve learned to use my voice to advocate for what I believe in, even if there are risks.” Khouri shared.
When asked if there were any nerves regarding the potential punishment surrounding the protest, Forney was anything but afraid.
“Any momentary punishment shouldn’t be enough to stop me from standing up for what I believe in and trying to change my country for the better,” Forney said.
For Omri Brown the decision of protesting until their final bell came down to simple allyship.
“It was important to me because we must stand up for one another when our communities are struggling,” Brown stated.
The meeting in Hayes Plaza ended with a reminder to attend the flex meeting on February 5th to write to elected officials to stand in solidarity with our immigrant community, and included the names of ICE victims to spread their stories while raising awareness.
