Minneapolis students walk out to protest DACA decision

Image 1 of 3

Hundreds of students walked out of school Friday and marched through south Minneapolis to bring attention to the Trump administration's decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects many young immigrants.

Forming the Interracial Student Movement just three weeks ago, Angelica, a junior at Southwest High School, and Jackie a sophomore at Hiawatha organized a crowd who walked out of an estimated 18 schools across Minneapolis Friday. Both teens say this is personal because they themselves are undocumented, determined dreamers. 

“I am affected and I really want to do something about it because my future is in jeopardy,” said Angelica. “At any moment I can be deported and I really want to accomplish my dreams.”

After walking out of classes around noon, nearly 200 students gathered at MLK Park on 40th and Nicollet. The young group marched through the streets demanding lawmakers push back against President Donald Trump's decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Thursday, a federal judge in New York ruled DACA can be open to judicial review. 

“What we want is a clean Dream Act, no funding for the wall, there is no taking out sanctuary cities, no hiring more ICE lawyers and ICE agents,” said Angelica. “And the reason we want TPS is because temporary protective status, it effects the southern part of America but it effects the eastern part of Africa as well.”

Helping guide the teens through their first protests in the streets were several groups ranging from SEIU to the Minnesota Immigrant Right Action Committee. 

“Now I am a U.S. citizen,” said William Martenez with MIRAC. “I need to support all the kids to have the American dream.” 

Ending the two-mile march at 12th and Lake Street, teens rallied around the monument of Zapata, an iconic figure in the Mexican Revolution. With that inspiration, many vow this will not be the last time they make noise over an important issue. 

“We are tired of our voices being minimized,” said Jackie. “So we had to do something about it if no one else was.”