Portland Teachers Accused of Politicizing Young Students in Anti-ICE Protest

Calls grow to revoke licenses of Portland Montessori School over video of young children marching against immigration enforcement

Feb. 1, 2026 at 8:55am

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Shocking video from Portland, Oregon shows staff at the Portland Montessori School leading very young children—some as young as five or six—in an anti-ICE protest, triggering widespread calls for the revocation of any licenses the school holds. Critics say the footage raises serious questions about professional boundaries, parental consent, and the politicization of early childhood education.

Why it matters

Educators are entrusted with teaching basic skills and safeguarding children—not using classrooms as staging grounds for ideological activism or involving minors in political demonstrations they are incapable of understanding. The incident has sparked outrage over the exploitation of young, impressionable students for political purposes.

The details

The video shows teachers at the Portland Montessori School leading children, some as young as 5 or 6 years old, in an anti-ICE protest. Critics say this crosses a line, accusing the school of exploiting minors for political activism and violating the trust parents place in educators to keep classrooms free from ideological coercion.

  • The video surfaced on January 31, 2026.

The players

Portland Montessori School

A private Montessori school in Portland, Oregon that has come under fire for involving young children in an anti-ICE protest.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

What’s next

There are growing calls to fire multiple teachers at the Portland Montessori School, revoke their teaching licenses, and strip the school of its accreditation over the incident.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing concerns about the politicization of early childhood education and the exploitation of young, impressionable students for ideological purposes. It raises questions about the boundaries of what is appropriate for teachers to involve students in, and the need to preserve the innocence of childhood.