GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of students walked out of Archer High School and Parkview High School on Tuesday, demanding the Gwinnett County Board of Education adopt formal policies protecting immigrant families from federal enforcement.
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“Not all of us are able to vote, but all of us deserve to allow our voices to be heard,” said Nehemiah Hamilton, an Archer High School student who organized a demonstration.
The on-campus walkout at Archer centered on a petition that has collected more than 1,000 signatures in less than 72 hours, calling for a “Safe Schools Resolution.”
Students want the district to require a judicial warrant before federal immigration officials can enter non-public areas of schools and commit to never sharing student or family immigration data with federal agencies unless required by court order.
“What is public school meant for if we can’t feel safe in the place where we’re supposed to learn?” said Sandra Brown-Peraza, one of the students who participated at Archer.
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A similar student-led walkout took place at Parkview High School in Lilburn on Tuesday afternoon.
The district sent a letter to families last July reaffirming its commitment to student safety and privacy.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Al Taylor wrote that GCPS does not ask for or document immigration status and that student records will not be shared without proper legal documentation.
However, students say they want those protections formalized in board policy.
They shared personal stories about how immigration enforcement is affecting their families.
“I’ve had an uncle who has been detained and possibly deported, and I can’t see him,” said Christopher Gonzalez. “Our leaders have failed us.”
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Santiago Martinez is an Archer student who helped plan the demonstration.
“My mom’s from Ecuador. She’s currently in Ecuador because she’s scared of the situation that’s going on right now,” Martinez said.
Congressman Mike Collins (R-Georgia) dismissed a similar walkout at Meadowcreek High School last week, saying the problem is not ICE but what he called “woke indoctrination.”
Justice Nwaigwe, chairman of the Gwinnett County Republicans, said students are being misled.
“They’re trying to politicize it, and that’s the unfortunate part,” Nwaigwe said. “People are getting a lot of misinformation and walking in completely confused on what reality is.”
Students said they do not know what disciplinary consequences they may face, but plan to present their demands at the February 18th school board meeting.
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