3 Students Arrested During 1,500-Person Walkout In Aurora

Police say one student punched an officer during the protest against ICE activity

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Three East Aurora High School students were arrested during a 1,500-person walkout to oppose recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. According to police, one of the boys who was arrested punched an officer, causing a laceration. The students were charged with improper walking in the roadway, obstructing and resisting a peace officer, and one was also charged with aggravated battery to an officer.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and the challenges schools and law enforcement face in balancing students' right to protest with maintaining public safety. It also raises questions about how schools should respond to walkouts during instructional time.

The details

Police were deployed to the scene to encourage students to remain in class or return to campus, but the massive crowd of students from several area schools continued with the walkout, traveling to downtown Aurora. Portions of the crowd disregarded officers, entering traffic lanes and blocking vehicles. Fights broke out, people threw water bottles at police vehicles, and there was reckless driving. Officers then made contact with two boys from East Aurora High School whose actions were contributing to unsafe conditions. When the officers tried to detain and identify the boys, they resisted, and a third student intervened and punched an officer in the head, causing a laceration.

  • The incident occurred shortly before noon on Monday, February 10, 2026.

The players

East Aurora High School

The high school that the arrested students attended.

Aurora Police Department (APD)

The law enforcement agency that responded to the student walkout and made the arrests.

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What’s next

The judge will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the arrested students to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges schools and law enforcement face in balancing students' right to protest with maintaining public safety. It raises questions about how schools should respond to walkouts during instructional time and the appropriate use of force by police in these situations.