CATONSVILLE, Md. — The school system dismissed them early because of the weather, but high schoolers across Baltimore County walked out into the cold to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
High schoolers in western Baltimore County walk out to protest ICE
Just before noon in Catonsville, Joi Patterson joined the crowd of high schoolers stepping out of class to make a statement.
"A few of my friends, their parents got deported, and I just feel like we shouldn't be ripping away people's families just because they came here illegally. I think it should be handled in a better way," Patterson told WMAR-2 News.
Catonsville High School was one of several in Baltimore County with protests Friday.
"I think it's causing a lot of disasters, a lot of separation of families. And that personally hasn't affected me yet, but I feel like bringing awareness to it is very important," Meron Nigusi, a senior at Catonsville High School, told WMAR-2 News Friday morning.
Students planned the demonstrations through social media, leaving class in protest of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
"We as immigrants want a better life for our kids, such as other people, they want to do everything for their kids and so do we. Our family wants to do so much more for us, and get us to our dreams," said Estefani Martinez, a ninth-grader at Pikesville High School.
High schoolers across the county marched amid frigid temperatures; the school system said it would send students home two hours early because of the weather, as did several other counties in the state.
"I feel like it's a sign of community, we're all put together and we all can come together to fight for something that's worth fighting for," Patterson said.
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