Chants of “Abolish ICE” and “ICE has no place in our schools” echoed outside New London and Fitch high schools as students walked out of their classrooms to protest immigration enforcement policies and demand change.
The fatal shootings of Renèe Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in January served as a catalyst for protests nation-wide, including CT.
Although communities have been protesting in efforts to hold ICE accountable for violent acts following the surge in
deportations and assaults in 2025, the killing of Good and Pretti sparked mass amounts of protests throughout the entire nation. Now, local students are becoming a part of the conversation.
“It felt really rewarding to have everyone come together to protest. Seeing faces I’ve never seen before and people from different grades was so exciting. Even with our differences inside the school, we came out together which made me very happy… I was inspired after seeing Fitch’s walkout,” organizer of New London’s ICE walkout and sophomore Elin Lita said.
Sophomores Dylan Labonte and Riley McArthur organized the Fitch High School walkout. To spread awareness, Labonte promoted the walkout on TikTok, where his posts quickly gained traction. In his videos, Labonte explained that the protest was organized in response to what he described as ICE’s “abusing of citizens.” He continued, “We have a voice, but we have to work together… we have power in numbers and we need to stop ICE from terrorizing our community.”
The protest faced initial pushback from Fitch administration, who sent an email to students expressing safety concerns about people leaving the building.
Labonte responded in another TikTok video, stating that their message needed a larger audience and could not be contained within school grounds. The video got over 100,000 likes and garnered support from thousands of people on social media.
Fitch had an in school assembly on the day of the walkout, inviting state officials and students to speak. There, students were eventually permitted to leave the building.
“Students were not blocked from leaving the building, and those who chose to leave exited the building freely and peacefully. We respect the informed decision all students made to exercise their rights…and hope their participation was a meaningful experience for all our students,” Fitch Superintendent Susan Austin said in a message to families and staff.
“Many people had their voices heard. It was a really great experience… This is a hard time, and everyone who walked out is so brave,” Labonte said.
After seeing coverage of Fitch’s walkout, Lita decided to organize a similar walkout at her own school.
“The preparation was hectic, but worth it,” Lita said.
Lita started making digital posters, spreading the word, and calling news outlets.
Students involved in the demonstrations hope that these walkouts encourage more people to speak out against ICE and push lawmakers and administration to enact change.
