Teachers in K-12 schools across the United States have encouraged or facilitated student protests targeting the Trump administration and federal immigration enforcement in recent weeks, with some schools and activist-aligned organizations organizing demonstrations directly.
In Boston, a teacher filmed first-grade students marching inside a classroom while holding anti-ICE signs, according to a report from MassDailyNews.
The video, which was posted to social media without parental permission, shows the children chanting, “No Donald Trump” as they walked around the room.
A video circulating online claims to show classrooms in the Boston area teaching very young kids to protest Trump and ICE. pic.twitter.com/dKEt97ArLi
— Mass Daily News (@MassDailyNews) February 4, 2026
In Ventura, California, Cabrillo Middle School supported a campus-wide walkout tied to pro-immigration activism, according to a parent who described the event on social media.
A separate incident in San Diego involved teacher Bailey Hill Ringer, who posted a video showing an upside-down U.S. flag displayed in her first-grade classroom alongside an “abolish ICE” sign intended to encourage student protests. The San Diego Unified School District confirmed the matter is under investigation.
Schools in Bakersfield, California, also organized walkouts and anti-ICE demonstrations, according to reporting from Breitbart News.
In Glenwood Springs, Colorado, teachers at Glenwood Springs High School called in sick to participate in a national day of action opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, forcing the school to close due to staffing shortages.
Teacher Jen DeFord told Aspen Public Radio:
“I have taught many students, some of whom are immigrants, and I think it’s really important that students see that their teachers stand in solidarity with them, regardless of their immigration status.
“We want them here. We love them.”
In Minnesota, the Minneapolis Federation of Educators has played a visible role in anti-ICE activism.
Union president Marcia Howard told reporters, “Our bosses are in the signal chats with us.
“Our elected officials are in the chats with us.”
Howard appeared to be referencing a now-defunct Signal messaging group allegedly tied to organizing unlawful or violent activity in Minneapolis.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Atlanta-area Langston Hughes High School held an “ICE walkout” featuring students who can barely read or write (only 15% are proficient at math) hurled taxpayer-funded laptops and wrecked the school. pic.twitter.com/KDUT5lscj2
— @amuse (@amuse) February 1, 2026
Backlash has emerged from parents and state officials in multiple states.
One Nebraska mother, whose daughter is recovering after being struck by an SUV, expressed outrage when students participated in a school-supported walkout backing illegal immigrants.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) criticized the Austin Independent School District’s response to a walkout, stating:
“AISD gets taxpayer dollars to teach the subjects required by the state, not to help students skip school to protest.
“Our schools are for educating our children, not political indoctrination.”
The Texas Education Agency warned that educators who facilitate walkouts could face disciplinary consequences, including potential revocation of teaching certificates.
“The freedom of expression does not include the right to disrupt an orderly learning environment,” the agency stated, adding that investigations into districts such as Austin ISD are underway, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The incidents reflect a growing national clash over the role of political activism inside public classrooms, particularly as immigration enforcement intensifies under President Donald Trump’s administration.
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