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PEORIA, Ariz. - Student walkouts protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have spread across the Phoenix area and the nation this week, drawing a sharp divide among parents over campus safety and political activism.
What we know:
While many students marched with signs and backpacks to protest ICE policies, school officials are warning that participants will face academic consequences.
Some parents praised the students for their civic engagement.
"When they see that civil rights are being violated with their own eyes, and they do something about it in a peaceful protest, I couldn’t be more proud of them," one local resident said.
However, other parents expressed concern over the safety of unsupervised marches.
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‘People get angry at politics …’
One parent noted that the walkouts left families unaware of their children's locations during the school day, citing risks of injury or political violence.
"Somebody could have been trampled," the parent said. "And it’s political. People get angry at politics, no matter what side you’re on."
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said in a statement that while students have a First Amendment right to protest, they should do so after school hours.
Horne added that school personnel should not participate in protests during instructional time. Several Valley school districts have notified parents that any student leaving class for the demonstrations will receive an unexcused absence.