Lincoln students walk out, march in protest of recent immigration sweeps
Hundreds of students from Lincoln High School and Glen Edwards Middle School walked out of class Friday afternoon, marching through downtown Lincoln to protest federal immigration policies, including recent sweeps, nationwide.
Students marched down Lincoln Boulevard chanting “abolish ICE” while holding signs calling for the elimination of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the wake of recent arrests and responses to protests from Minneapolis last month to south Sacramento last year.
A similar march took place Monday with students from Twelve Bridges and Whitney high schools, as well as nearby Twelve Bridges Middle School, police said.
Some signs read, “I like ICE in my matcha but not in my country” and “Fight ignorance not immigrants.”
Motorists passing by reacted in different ways. Some honked in support while playing YG and Nipsey Hussle’s “FDT,” a song critical of President Donald Trump. Others made obscene hand gestures toward the students.
State law allows students to participate
School resource officers and district administrators monitored the event, according to Western Placer Unified School District officials.
“During that time, schools maintained normal operation, and attendance was addressed in accordance with California Education Code and district policy,” the district said in a statement.
State law allows middle and high school students to participate in a civic or political event when proper notice is provided.
The Lincoln Police Department escorted the students as they walked more than a mile from campus to Beermann Plaza, continuing down Lincoln Boulevard toward Burger King and later the Safeway shopping center at Ferrari Ranch Road.
Police said they were aware several days ahead of time of the planned demonstration through a social media post. Officers coordinated with the district to ensure student safety, police said.
“LPD’s goal is to ensure everyone’s right to exercise their First Amendment rights safely,” the department wrote in a social media post.
Police said they received one report that a demonstrator threw a rock at a vehicle, causing minor damage. A report was taken and the incident remains under investigation, police said. No arrests were made.
Erin Dailey, a Lincoln High freshman, said she was grateful that administrators helped keep students safe during the protest, her first.
“I decided to walk out because of the inhumane acts of ICE. There is a difference between deporting illegal criminals and people who are trying to become American citizens,” she said.
Dailey said she understands that most countries have border control policies.
“America does need to prioritize safety, but not in this horrific way,” she added.
Students at Del Oro High School, Roseville High School and Woodcreek High School also held walkouts Friday. The anti-ICE protests were similar to other walkouts that took place across the capital region, including last week’s march by Sacramento high school students.
‘My concern was her safety’
Beverly La Vigne, whose daughter attends Lincoln High, said she felt nervous about her daughter attending the protest because she had never participated in one before. She said she worried about her daughter protesting an issue that has wide support in Placer County.
According to the Placer County Elections Office, the county has 122,495 registered Republicans and 92,658 registered Democrats.
“This is a pretty conservative town, so my concern was her safety,” La Vigne said.
Her daughter, Sophia, said she felt she needed to walk out in protest on Friday because she believes what is happening in America is “very messed up” and “needs to end.”
Sophia said she began paying closer attention to immigration enforcement after a classmate expressed fear about his family potentially being deported.
“I remember looking at his face and I could tell he was very scared, and it really opened my eyes as to what he and others are experiencing with the fear of uncertainty,” she said.
La Vigne said she left work early to observe the protest after reading some comments online from parents about the march. After watching the protesters make their way down Lincoln Boulevard, she said she felt more comfortable with her daughter’s decision to participate.
“I see online that parents against the protest are saying these kids don’t know what they’re doing,” she said. “My feeling is if that’s your thought, then how sheltered are you and your child? Kids know what’s wrong with what’s happening.”
She added that teens should not be sheltered from current events.
“She’s exposed to so much more and, whenever she has questions, we discuss it,” La Vigne said. “What I don’t understand or know, we research it.”
“With what’s happening in the world today, these kids have to grow up so fast.”
The Lincoln Police Department said ICE activity in Lincoln was rare but that the department did not have access to specific data on those occurrences when asked.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 6:18 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to clarify that the department did not have ICE enforcement data available at the time of reporting.
