High school students from more than 200 schools across Colorado participated in a statewide walkout Friday afternoon to protest federal immigration enforcement, specifically actions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
While students participated from various locations, a significant demonstration took place in Denver. Hundreds of students from the Denver area gathered at La Alma-Lincoln Park at noon. At the park, they listened to student speakers, engaged with local organizations offering resources, and marched through the surrounding neighborhood.
During the Denver demonstration, a group of counterprotesters supportive of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda arrived. Some students reacted by screaming at the counterprotesters, attempting to remove them from the park, and throwing water bottles or other drinks. Event organizers present at the park repeatedly urged students to remain peaceful and avoid engaging with the counterprotesters.
Denver Police officers intervened, informing the group that it was an unlawful assembly and instructing attendees to disperse. Organizers, including state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, subsequently redirected students to march on the sidewalks around the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
According to a statement from Denver Police, the demonstration at La Alma-Lincoln Park was unpermitted and lacked a safety plan, which, the police statement said, “contributed to an unsafe environment for participants.” Denver Police reported that five “assaults/altercations” occurred during the event. Three individuals were transported to the hospital with unknown injuries, one person received evaluation at the scene, and another left before speaking with officers. Police identified suspects, and investigations are ongoing. PULSE Colorado, a volunteer group providing emergency medical care at community gatherings, had a tent set up at the demonstration.
Students shared their reasons for participating. Kudo Macher, a 15-year-old student at the Denver School of the Arts, expressed little surprise at the violent interactions, attributing them to the stress teenagers are experiencing regarding elected officials’ actions. Macher’s friend, Kennedy Fox, also 15 and from the Denver School of the Arts, noted that violence can diminish the message of a walkout but expressed pride in students’ commitment to a cause. Fox stated that young people care about these issues and want elected officials to listen. Macy Brown, another 15-year-old from the Denver School of the Arts, emphasized the importance of human rights and speaking up against injustices.
Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros, who won the primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District in June, spoke to students at the park. Kiros, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia at 11 months old and was raised in Denver, expressed pride in students for risking school punishment to support immigrants. She told the cheering crowd that they were standing up for neighbors “being terrorized by this fascist administration, and this rogue agency that’s kidnapping our neighbors and throwing them into concentration camps.” Kiros urged attendees to continue to find ways to protect immigrants, stating, “You showing up matters. Young people and students have always been on the front line of change.”
Elliot Valdez, a 17-year-old student at the Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High School, walked an hour from school to attend the event. Valdez said seeing so many young people participate offered hope for future generations and expressed frustration that people coming to the U.S. for the American dream are being deported or killed. Jesse Monte, a 15-year-old from Aurora, stated he walked out of school to support those deported and to prevent similar situations for other families. Aurora is home to an ICE detention center operated by the GEO Group.
Naya Ferguson, a 16-year-old student at Bear Creek High School in Jefferson County, drove to La Alma-Lincoln Park after seeing many students walk out of her own school. She found it inspiring to witness such broad student support for those impacted by federal immigration enforcement. Ferguson stated, "What ICE is doing is just unconstitutional, unlawful. It’s inhumane, and I just don’t want to sit back and just watch it happen."
ICE has arrested and deported thousands of immigrants across the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 as part of a mass deportation plan targeting immigrants without permanent legal status. While the Trump administration has indicated these efforts target criminals, many arrested individuals have civil immigration violations rather than criminal records.