Immokalee High School students protest ICE policies without facing discipline

IMMOKALEE, Fla. —

Hundreds of students at Immokalee High School walked out of class Friday afternoon to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and government policies, aiming to make their voices heard without facing disciplinary actions.

The demonstration followed similar protests in Lee County schools, where students faced discipline for their actions.

Chants and crowds filled the track at Immokalee High School as students expressed their concerns.

Kyra Alexander, one of the organizers, said, "You have a right to speak, you have a right to protest. And that's what we did."

Alexander and other organizers worked with school administrators to ensure the protest remained on campus and peaceful, avoiding the disciplinary measures seen in Lee County.

Many students carried signs honoring their immigrant parents, highlighting the personal nature of the issue. Last year, ICE detained a bus of about 30 field workers in Immokalee, some of whom were parents of students at the school.

Sol Reyes, another student, said, "What we're seeing now is students coming to school with anxiety and concerns that their parents aren't coming home from work, and they're going to go home to empty houses."

Collier County Public Schools stated that students who participated in the protest would be marked absent for the class period they missed, adding that the demonstration was orderly, with no disciplinary or behavioral incidents.

Alexander emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism and peace, saying, "You have to keep it professional and peaceful."

The Florida Commissioner of Education, Anastasios Kamoutsas, also recently stated in his memorandum dated Feb. 3, 2026, “students retain constitutional rights to free expression, including the ability to engage in peaceful protest, when such expression complies with applicable law and school district policy.”

The district noted that these student protests can happen in Florida schools, but only if they aim to not interrupt instructional time, school operations, and campus safety.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.