This article contains topics that may be triggering to some people as well as some profanity.
Many students are asking what happens at Shorecrest if ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrives. ICE is not allowed on school grounds unless they go through a specific series of procedures described below. Furthermore, ICE is not permitted on or in sidewalks, parking lots, sports facilities, playgrounds, building entrances, or exits in the vicinity of school grounds.
Shoreline School District policy dictates that the building enters a lockout, where nobody is allowed in or out of the building, and all doors are locked. ICE is met outside by the principal, who asks for a warrant, records their credentials, the names of those in request, and “nature of the person’s business at the school” (Code 4300). The request is then sent to the superintendent or legal counsel. The superintendent or council then decides, based on the purpose of the request, if the action is approved. To read more specifics, go to the Shoreline Public Schools website and search “ICE policy.”
On Friday, January 30, many students at SC protested the violence of ICE against immigrants by not attending school. Wearing black to honor lives lost to ICE and wearing blue that resembles 5-year-old Liam Ramos’s bunny hat when he and his father were taken by ICE in Minneapolis, became a huge movement. The blue also honored Alex Pretti, who was violently shot and killed when he tried to record and intervene as D.H.S. agents pushed two civilians in Minneapolis.
On Thursday, February 5, students from 17 high schools organized and walked out at 11:00am to attend a march downtown at Seattle City Hall. The purpose of the protest was to demand that leaders defund ICE, protect their communities against the organization, and ensure the student voice was heard.
That Thursday, Shorecrest was abuzz with excitement and resistance as students made signs out of cardboard and discussed meet-up plans and bus routes; some showed up with nothing more than a mini purse to show that they were walking out. At 11:00am, students (myself among them) flooded out of our classrooms and into the front lot, with most underclassmen waiting for the bus by the Shoreline United Methodist Church. The Filipino Student Union (who initially posted on their Instagram to spread the word about the protest before the movement exploded) took one look at the crowd gathering at the bus stop and at their flimsy sign and decided to start the protest early. They led the walk to the Shoreline light rail station, knowing there was no way over 100 students could fit on a cramped public bus.
This part of the day was actually the most inspiring for me because it showed how students banded together. A river of students from all different social groups flooded the sidewalk for nearly a quarter mile under one common cause. Protesters whooped and shouted as almost every passing car honked in support (one guy was even taking a video while driving). Drivers gave thumbs-up and peace signs out of their car windows. A Taqueria El Cerrito worker’s eyes widened as he saw the approaching commotion, leaning on the counter, captivated by the crowd.
As the group passed by an office building near the 348 bus stop on 15th Avenue, two office workers stepped out of their office and stared in awe while sipping their coffee and enjoying the spectacle. Similar reactions would occur once the crowd arrived downtown. We wandered through the streets of Shoreline suburbia while the gentle chords of the Beatles hung in the air.
When we finally arrived at the light rail station, leaders with megaphones told students to get off at Pioneer Square, Exit A. They repeatedly asked the crowd to chant the directions back to make sure everyone heard, and made an extra point to tell protesters to be considerate of others on the train. I would like to shout out the Filipino Student Union and the Latino Student Union for being such forward student leaders and helping to keep everybody safe and doing the right thing. You all are awesome!
It was certainly tight on the light rail, with student leaders catching their breath after sprinting to control and stay in front of the crowd. Once we got out using Exit A at Pioneer Square, we walked up the stairs and escalators. A dull sound started as we rose out of the tunnel, getting louder and louder until my friends and I realized it was the sound of people yelling.
According to the Seattle Times, there were hundreds of students there, and the crowd certainly looked like it. Students clung to every possible surface around Seattle City Hall, from railings, stairs, benches, Lime bikes, and even people climbing trees and pedestrian signals. After about 20 minutes of chanting at City Hall (the most popular being, “Say it once, say it twice: F@#k ICE, F@#k ICE”), the crowd started to walk down 4th Avenue and eventually 5th Avenue before circling back to City Hall. Some of my favorite signs I saw included “I like my horchata warm because I hate ICE,” and “Elect a rapist, expect to be f@#$ed.” Many people who started chants like “ICE, ICE go to hell, it is right to rebel,” brought wagons with speakers and microphones to make noise and be better heard.
When we first marched into the street, a woman in her car looked like a deer in headlights seeing the mob of people headed straight for her. A few seconds later, a little head poked out of the sunroof and started giving protesters fist-bumps. I left after we got back to City Hall, which concludes my personal experience, but the Newspaper Club would love to hear yours! Follow our Instagram page at sc.highland.piper!
So, how did teachers respond and what did attendance look like? Teachers remained conservative, carefully choosing their words so as to not get in trouble for encouraging or discouraging the walkout. I talked with Ms. Sokolowski, our attendance secretary, and she reported that the number of unexcused absences that Thursday was 497 out of a total of 1,300 students. That’s nearly half the school!
The walkout clearly had a huge impact on Shorecrest, and a lot of student participation certainly caused a disruption, but is it enough to disturb ICE?
Sources:
Bora Erden, et al. “Timeline: How the Shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti Unfolded.” The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2026, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/24/us/minneapolis-shooting-alex-pretti-timeline.html.
Silva, Daniella. “Mother Recounts Her Terror at Seeing Her 5-Year-Old Son Be Taken by ICE Agents.” NBC News, 30 Jan. 2026, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mother-5-year-old-taken-ice-immigration-agents-use-son-bait-rcna256729. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
“Our Commitment to Student, Staff, and Family Safety.” Ssd412.org, 27 Jan. 2026, www.ssd412.org/default-board-post-page-news/~board/district-news-and-schools/post/our-commitment-to-student-staff-and-family-safety. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Uyehara, Kai. “Hundreds of Seattle High Schoolers Hit the Streets to Protest Ice.” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 11 Feb. 2026, www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/seattle-students-walk-out-hit-the-streets-to-protest-ice/.
“About Us – Shorecrest High School.” Shorecrest Crest Transparent Background, shorecrest.ssd412.org/about-us. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
