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By Ella Wharton, Kayleigh Lisa, and Olivia Jackson
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the people’s right to freedom of speech. empowering the American people to express their views on political, social, economic, and cultural issues across the nation with no consequence. It's this constitutional right that allows the students of both Nashua High School North and South to have a say on the current status of immigration within the country.
Accomplished by the combined efforts of five students from both schools, a joint peaceful protest against I.C.E´s crackdown in Minnesota was organized on the 4th of February 2026. What began as a humble campaign online, materialized into a demonstration of hundreds of students mobilizing. The Nashua students' protest is a testament to the willpower and influence of upcoming generations.
Plans for the protest began on Instagram on a non-school-affiliated page just before semester one final exams began. Between the launch of the Instagram page and the finalization of the date of the protest, many changes were made to the walkout plans.
The demonstration began as just a Nashua North protest, however the cause for which the organization was fighting resonated deeply with many students, and the popularity of the movement caused Nashua South to join.
Social media allowed students to stay up to date on shifting plans and were even able to share their own stories. Many spoke of being immigrants, children of immigrants, or individuals who'd been directly affected by the changing of immigration laws in the United States. The Instagram page is still active at the publication of this article and is accepting anyone´s stories that they are willing to share. To learn more about the cause directly from the source, check out @nhsn_against_I.C.E and @nhss_against_I.C.E.
On the day of the protest Students of Nashua High School North and South all gathered at Stellos to protest against I.C.E. While there, students shared their stories and the reasons that they had risked their safety to come and join this movement. on being children of immigrants or being immigrants themselves.
When asked what motivated her to help lead such an extensive effort, organizer Kaylee Hall offered a somber reply : “No student should have to go to school and wonder whether their parents are going to be home that day”.
Throughout the protest, there was a pattern of students sharing similar stories of how they come from hardworking immigrant families, and that they now constantly live in fear. Another organizer, Jordin Lopez, added, “What I.C.E. is doing is unjust and certainly illegal and not fair.” The protesting students were angry and wanted change yet chose to fight for it peacefully.
At North, the walkout started right after the second lunch at 11:40. Students gathered in the senior parking lot to coordinate carpools, and make signs. Then, they walked up Titan Way and stood around the rotary holding up signs and cheering; demanding change. Passing drivers showed their support by honking their horns. Overall, North students received good encouragement while standing up for what they believed in. There was a sense of unity among the North protesters from everyone coming together. Even after a few negative comments received while at the rotary, students remained undeterred and used them to fuel their fighting spirit.
While the Nashua School Department made a post stating, “Students who choose to leave school grounds without authorization to participate in the walkout will be treated the same as any student who leaves school without permission,” no punishments were dealt out to those who walked out without getting dismissed.
Ultimately the walkout was more than a protest on one particular issue; it was also a demonstration of the impact that the youth can have in their communities. It was a protest by students from Nashua High North and Nashua High South who wanted to show that civic engagement can start before adulthood, before the right to vote. As the issue of immigration policy remains an issue of national discussion, the protest by the students ought to remind the public that change begins when you stand up to be heard, no matter what side you protest for.
