When is it enough? On Friday, January 30th, students from Boulder High, CU, and other high schools protested the practices and actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump Administration. Many students chose not to attend classes, with some gathering on Pearl to protest. As I left school and headed towards the intersection of Pearl and Broadway, I was able to intercept the march beginning at CU Law. On first glance, the protest aligns with the hundreds of movements that have been mobilized across the country. However, the majority of the student demographic marks a shift from activism being primarily associated with older generations.
Since Donald Trump was inaugurated to office last year, the budget and scope of ICE have drastically increased. The federal enforcement agency relies on the racial profiling of people of color to disappear community members across the country. In the words of Liv Hourihan, ‘27, “It’s something that directly affects our community.” Sometimes, those detained by ICE can afford a lawyer or are provided with free legal representation by various non-profit organizations. But the sick reality is that most adults and children will go into immigration court without a lawyer, forced to advocate for themselves in a complex legal system. The result is often imprisonment in a privately chartered detention center or deportation to their suspected home country.
Although there has been significant pushback against the actions of ICE affecting thousands of individuals over the last year, recent events have brought their impact further into the public consciousness. The unlawful death of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE officers made it evident that ICE isn’t just targeting immigrants.
The walkout of Boulder High was initiated by a nationwide event, where Americans were urged to leave their schools and jobs, and avoid shopping on the 30th. Hourihan, who only attended her third-period class that day, says, “I saw nobody in the hallways.” Although many students chose not to attend the demonstration, even just leaving school made a noticeable impact.
Lily Beacom, ‘26, walked out of school and attended the protest on Pearl Street. One could find her saying chants into a megaphone, urging government officials to reduce the harm being caused to her community. She described it as “Empowering and meaningful to feel and see and hear so many people supporting the other people in our community.” Hourihan echoes similar thoughts, saying, “There was chanting…everyone being there for the same cause, and knowing you were all there to support the same thing felt welcoming.”
Many students were hesitant about participating, citing concerns about the effectiveness of protesting and the reasons why some students chose to leave school. But the attendees of the march assured me that it was not an excuse to ditch class, and that their direct action was making a difference.
“I think some get discouraged,” notes Beacom, “They think, well, what is a small protest in one city going to do?” Other students were unable to participate because their parents wouldn’t allow it. However, Beacom believes that “In reality, not only does it make your voice heard, but it reminds our community members that we stand behind them and that we know they belong!”
Still, this protest signified a major change from the typical older crowd taking political action. “I’ve been to a lot of protests,” adds Hourihan, “and this definitely had the most young people I have ever seen.” Students felt that their voices represented the future of advocacy and were proud to have stood up against what they believed was government oppression.
Regardless of the time that change will take, students made their voices heard loud and clear. They demanded justice for those in their community and those in their country. The ability of young people to participate so deeply in activism and advocacy illustrates the power of a collective voice.
