Palm Springs students protest ICE enforcement with walkout

Hundreds of high schoolers across the district participated in the demonstration.

Feb. 9, 2026 at 8:47pm

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Hundreds of students across the Palm Springs Unified School District walked out of class on Thursday to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement actions. The largest turnout was at Palm Springs High School, where students chanted slogans and carried signs condemning ICE's policies.

Why it matters

The student-led walkout reflects growing concerns among young people in the Palm Springs area about the impacts of aggressive immigration enforcement on their communities. The protest highlights the political activism of high school students who are using civil disobedience to voice their opposition to ICE's tactics.

The details

The walkout began around 10 a.m. local time, with students leaving their classrooms and gathering on the grounds of Palm Springs High School. Organizers said the goal was to draw attention to ICE's detention and deportation practices, which they believe unfairly target undocumented immigrants. Students chanted slogans like "Abolish ICE" and carried homemade signs with messages opposing the agency's enforcement efforts.

  • The walkout began around 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, February 10, 2026.

The players

Palm Springs Unified School District

The public school district serving the Palm Springs, California area.

Palm Springs High School

One of the high schools within the Palm Springs Unified School District where the largest student walkout took place.

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What they’re saying

“We won't stand by while our friends and families live in fear of ICE. This is our way of taking a stand and demanding change.”

— Sophia Hernandez, Palm Springs High School student

What’s next

School district officials said they are reviewing the incident and may discipline students who participated in the unauthorized walkout.

The takeaway

The student-led protest in Palm Springs highlights the growing political activism of young people who are using civil disobedience to voice their opposition to the federal government's immigration enforcement policies.