A year after President Donald Trump took office, hundreds of students from two of Arizona’s largest school districts participated in back-to-back protests and walkouts against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The first was on Jan. 20 at Mesa Public Schools’ Red Mountain High School and Phoenix Union High School District’s Central High School and coincided with the national “Free America Walkout” demonstration. The event was organized by the Women’s March and consisted of over 900 local actions to oppose the recent uptick in ICE activity across the country, according to the organizers’ website.
Jeremiah Cota, a governing board member for Phoenix Union, posted on his X account that disciplinary measures will be taken against staff who participated in protests.
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“While I always encourage peaceably exercising the 1st amendment, I will be calling on any disciplinary measures that may be imposed for any Phoenix Union staff engaging in disruptive behavior on PXU campuses.”
Principal of Central High School Danielle Shields monitored students from a distance on Jan. 20 as the protest led to the school’s nearby light rail, according to Richard Franco, the district’s marketing and communications director.
Central High School staff were not participating in the protest but ensuring student safety, he said.
Steve Tannenbaum, principal at Red Mountain High School, issued a similar statement indicating the walkout was not a school-sponsored event and any staff presence “was strictly for supervision and safety purposes.”
“Staff did not participate in the walkout or take a position on the issue. If a student chose to leave campus, they were no longer under school supervision once off campus,” he said.
The Arizona Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling that schools are not responsible for students once they step off campus. Both districts confirmed that students who missed classes due to protests would be marked absent.
On Jan. 23, both districts saw similar protests at Mesa Public Schools’ Mountain View High School and Phoenix Union’s Cesar Chavez High School.
Students in Phoenix left campus to protest near Cesar Chavez Park, which runs adjacent to Cesar Chavez High School. The district contacted parents to ask students to return to campus. Shortly after, the district informed families of Betty H. Fairfax and Cesar Chavez High School that federal and local law enforcement were spotted near the site of the protest.
“As a district, we always encourage our students to remain on campus, where they are most safe,” said Franco in a statement. “We have communicated with our families about the walkouts and will continue to work with our students to provide safe spaces for them to share their concerns about national topics.”
Do Valley school districts have policies for dealing with ICE?
Under the Biden administration, arrests, searches and other immigration enforcement actions were not allowed to occur in “sensitive locations.” These locations included schools, hospitals, places of worship and certain public ceremonies and demonstrations. On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump’s first day back in office, the policy was rescinded.
Still, there are existing federal protections for undocumented students or mixed-status families. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act prohibits school personnel from disclosing a student’s records to an immigration official unless the school has consent from the student’s parent or the official has a valid subpoena or court order. A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case, Plyler v. Doe, also ensures that every student has a right to public education regardless of their immigration status.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said he does not think ICE agents will enter Arizona schools despite the policy being rescinded.
“Don’t hesitate to send your kids to school,” Horne told The Republic in 2025. “In my view, they will not go into schools to bother kids.”
In August of that year, two people were detained by immigration officers just in front of school boundary lines, according to the district.
Some school districts were quick to introduce policies following Trump’s return to office to protect students. On Jan. 24, 2025, Phoenix Union signed its Safe Zone Resolution. The document said the district has a responsibility to protect its students from immigration officials and to provide a safe learning environment.
Any requests from ICE to enter campus that would disrupt learning must first be presented to the Superintendent’s Office.
The resolution also said the district does not keep records of a student’s immigration status. Family engagement teams were also created to support students in case their parent or legal guardian is detained.
The Cartwright School District issued a similar policy geared towards staff to encourage “culturally responsive communication and de-escalation techniques to support an inclusive school culture.”
The policy ensures all staff are trained on a student’s privacy rights and how to deal with law enforcement requests. It also prevents them from inquiring about a student’s immigration status.
Amid concerns of increased ICE presence, the Phoenix Police Department released a statement on Jan. 23 that it does not enforce federal immigration laws.
“Our role is to uphold local and state laws and protect public safety. While we do not participate with ICE, we also cannot interrupt or prevent their operations,” the statement said.
According to the department, Phoenix residents should expect local officers to wear their uniform, identify themselves upon request and never wear face coverings.
Reporting by Erick Trevino, Arizona Republic
