On Friday, around 150 RHS students left campus to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota at the hands of ICE officers, as part of a district-wide high school walkout across Corpus Christi ISD. This action follows dozens of similar student walkouts across Texas — including one on Feb. 5 at Flour Bluff High School — and hundreds more protests nationwide.
RHS students exited through the front entrance after fourth period and walked about six miles total. On the route, they met up with students from Miller High School’s walkout at N Shoreline Blvd, then went to City Hall and the Nueces County Sheriff Department. The district‑wide walkout was initially sparked by an Instagram post and coordinated through social media accounts and group chats.
Junior America Alvarez said she was inspired to join the protest after her friend shared her social media posts calling for a district-wide walkout. She said being born into an immigrant family and fearing they could be unfairly treated were major reasons she decided to participate.
“I feel like they are just racially profiling (Hispanic) people,” Alvarez said. “There are articles about people being targeted even when they have papers. My whole family has thick Hispanic accents and tan skin, and that makes me worry about how they could be treated.”
Alvarez said recent ICE actions also feel personal because of how they affect majority-Hispanic communities like Corpus Christi.
“Corpus Christi takes pride in Hispanic culture, especially (the singer) Selena Quintanilla,” Alvarez said. “So I don’t understand why suddenly we’re seeing these aggressive enforcement tactics taken out on our community.”
Junior Remy Vasquez said she decided to participate in the walkout because of her Mexican descent. She said witnessing recent ICE actions made the issue feel personal, and she wanted to take a stand for her local community.
“It was kind of surreal — finally showing up in ways that matter,” Vasquez said. “Especially with the amount of people that showed up, I was so proud of my school and meeting up with Miller.”
Vasquez also said that she wants nationwide anti-ICE protests to send a message of compassion.
“Honestly, I just hope for more peace for one another,” Vasquez said. “There’s never a good reason to be actively attacking or harming other citizens, and I hope protests encourage the nation to be more peaceful and loving.”
Sophomore Langston Linscomb said he believes ICE’s actions go beyond fair enforcement after initially seeing videos of how federal agents were treating people.
“I saw the way that people were being treated by ICE via social media, and I realized the level on which they are infringing upon our rights granted by the Constitution,” Linscomb said. “And I just don’t think that’s right.”
Linscomb also emphasized the importance of due process and empathy for immigrant communities.
“It’s basic empathy,” he said. “No group of people should have biases held against them based on factors they can’t control. If you start throwing out the constitutional rules this country was built upon, it leads to chaos, and compliance is what those in power want.”
Editor’s Note: Publication of this article, originally intended for Monday, Feb. 16, was delayed due to audio issues with recorded interviews.
