Houston-Region ICE School Walkouts Self-Organized & Accept Measure Of Risk-Just The Program

PLease CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOUSTON POWER

​Thank you to the high school students across the Houston-region and Texas who have been walking out of school to protest ICE. 

They've done so despite threats from the State of Texas and pressure from school administrators. 

From Houston NPR KUHF on 2/10:

"Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath set serious consequences last week for students, teachers and staff who "participate in inappropriate political activism.”...The consequences for students, teachers and districts for facilitating walkouts include loss of attendance-based funding if students are not properly marked absent, teacher investigations that could result in the loss of their license and school system investigations with sanctions that include a state takeover of the district."

From myRGV.com reported from Edinburg on 2/6:

"A small but passionate group of Edinburg Robert Vela High School students participated in a walkout Friday afternoon, joining a group of demonstrators across the street from the campus to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation efforts...Several of these students were suspended as a result. The group of around 15 people gathered across from Vela High School with anti-ICE signs, Mexican flags and signs defending freedom of speech Friday afternoon...Among the consequences are students being marked as absent, schools risking daily attendance funding if they allow or encourage students to walk out of class, and being subjected to investigation and sanction — including implementing a board of managers if schools facilitate walkouts....According to the Edinburg CISD spokesperson, Lisa Ayala, two Vela students were suspended earlier in the day because they left campus while the other students will face disciplinary action."

If my father could be a Korean War combat medic at age 20, it is fine for good young people to walk out of class at 16 or whatever. They'll be fine. They all merit an A+. 

​With this post are two notices for school walkouts taken from the Facebook page Alianza Latina Internacional. This page is a good resource for ICE sightings in the Houston-area and word of anti-ICE protests. One walkout shown here is in Cypress and the other is in Alvin.

These school walkout protests are self-organized and autonomous, have no financial resources and involve accepting a measure of risk. 

This is just the program. 

The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, the only credential needed is your presence.

The work ahead is ours in the difficult days ahead. 

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