The fear and anxiety that ICE agents have been spreading have reached a point where even teenagers are feeling the impact. It shouldn’t be all that surprising, considering ICE has not hesitated to target teens and even children in some of its operations. What might seem like a political matter meant only for adults is now clearly resonating with young people in Minnesota. At Burnsville High School, students decided to take a stand, staging a protest against ICE operations in the state.
The sight was striking. A large group of Minnesota teens walked through the winter streets in droves, their boots crunching in the snow, chanting “No more ICE!” Some carried handmade signs, while others threw jackets and other clothing into the air in celebration of their act of defiance. Despite the seriousness of the protest, many of the students were smiling, perhaps enjoying the rare chance to be outside, away from classrooms, while still taking part in something meaningful.
The protest quickly gained attention online, with many praising the Minnesota teens for standing up for what they believed in. “Hell yeah, look at them walking all over ICE,” one user joked, amused by both the protest and the literal ice under their feet.
A former teacher on Reddit commented that they would give these students an A if they were still teaching, recognizing both their courage and civic engagement. Others emphasized the importance of youth involvement in shaping political change. “Nothing will ever change until we get young people involved. They have less to lose and more to gain. Happy to see this,” one user wrote.
Supporters also connected the protest to broader social and political issues. “Awesome to see the kids at this school come together and push back against the blatant cruelty this administration is inflicting. This is exactly why Texas is trying to shove TPUSA chapters into every grade school in the state. They can’t risk the young ones developing empathy for Black or Brown people, no sir,” another commenter remarked, highlighting the stakes of youth political engagement across the country.
Of course, not all responses were fully supportive. Some doubted the teens’ motives, suggesting that they were simply looking for an excuse to skip school. “When I was a kid, these walkouts were just an excuse to skip class and meet up with friends,” one user said.
Others countered that even if some students weren’t deeply invested, the protest against ICE itself still mattered. “Same, but there were always two groups: the kids who just left and went home, and the people who actually stayed around the school to protest. I’m sure there are both groups here too. Some will just take the chance to leave, but others will stick around with signs and make a real statement,” one user wrote.
