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On Friday, March 13th, students at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and South staged a walkout in protest of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity across the country, joining a wave of high schoolers statewide in the fight against aggressive enforcement of immigration policies and illegal detainments. While many nearby schools, such as Princeton and Lawrence High Schools have held similar demonstrations, this marks the first large-scale effort within the WW-P district as local students join the broader, statewide movement. Walkouts, commonly defined as protests in which individuals will leave class or a workplace to express dissent, have become more prevalent in local communities in the past couple of months, with Mercer County being no exception.

The initiative originated at High School North, when student organizer Om Raheja approached administrators with a proposal. In the following weeks, the effort proliferated across both schools, powered by dozens of students contributing time and energy to organize the event. Their main goal: to get ICE OUT, as the high school students have chosen to dub their organization name.

Of course, orchestrating a protest isn’t as simple as just showing up. Throughout January and February, WW-P ICE OUT navigated the challenges of gaining support, securing administrative approval, and most importantly, defining the purpose of their movement. “We wanted it to emulate a grassroots organization,” voices student leader Sharaya Gala. “So when we wanted to get admin approval, naturally, a lot of the team was against it.” When it came to getting admin approval, administrative responses differed between the two schools. High School South was generally more cooperative, while High School North imposed more restrictions on language used in posters and speeches. “We wanted to go after harmful institutions directly,” Gala says. “But we realigned to just protesting ICE so we could secure participation for the future.”

Through weeks of sustained effort, persistence, and determination, WW-P ICE OUT ultimately turned the walkout into a complete success, with over 1,000 attendees combined from both High School North and South. This walkout not only marks one of the most successful walkouts within the WW-P district, but is also a milestone for public high schools across New Jersey.

Each walkout lasted approximately one hour and featured student speeches and poster displays. Speakers included Emilian Lipnevich, Hoin Lee, Megan Bomireddy, Saahil Patel, Sharaya Gala, Sahana Vadivelu, and Eshan Yalla.

“We had a lot of wonderful posters,” shares Lipnevich. “ Admin can [try to limit] us but they can’t stop us when we’re in big numbers...they can only hold us back when we’re not together.”

Many of the speeches centered on the human cost of immigration enforcement, grounding national policy in very personal realities. Lee reminded the crowd that “our greatest strength is not the strength of our economy or the power of our military, but their rights and values we share together” while Vadivelu’s powerful anecdotes of the lives affected by ICE left the audience with a sharper sense of urgency that stayed with them well beyond the walkout. For many students, the walkout was fueled by recent events in Minnesota and New Jersey, from two U.S. citizens getting shot in broad daylight, to more local activity as well, including detention centers and rising ICE incursions in local municipalities.

“After the walkout, we got some amazing positive feedback,” shares Gala. “Not just from how heartfelt [the speeches] were, but also through how much of an impact they made on those listening about such an important topic.”

“Same in South. Many people [shared] to me about how motivated they were, not just because they were politically involved, but because of how much harm they knew it would bring to our community. Some people didn’t show up because they didn’t want to get absences or the reasonable fear behind joining a movement like this. But the fact that people won’t join us blinds us from how much support we have from everyone. Even if they didn’t come, to see how much mobilization we can get on our own shows that we are not alone, we can talk about the things that matter, we can make sure that everyone is heard, especially in a turbulent time,” shared Lipnevich.

WW-P ICE OUT isn’t stopping here. Their next campaign is scheduled for May 1st, taking place after the school day to minimize absences and repercussions from administration. With plans already underway, WW-P ICE OUT is continuing to organize logistics to ensure their next movement emphasizes unity across New Jersey in opposition to ICE.

But outside of walkouts, there is still so much action that can be taken, even as a student. If you’re 18 or older, you can vote; if you’re younger, you can research, talk to your parents, spread awareness, and use your voice. Young people around the world, from students mobilizing millions for climate strikes like Greta Thunberg to passionate advocates for equal education like Malala Yousafzai, have shown that student-led movements can reach far beyond their own communities.

Change doesn’t begin at the national level; it begins in our own community, through our conversations, through our actions, and through the choices we make every day. Whether it’s speaking at council meetings, supporting local immigrant communities, or simply educating those around you, every action matters. Because every effort, no matter how small, truly does make a difference.

This movement demonstrates one undeniable truth: When a community acts in unison, its impact extends far beyond the walls of any single high school. Local action carries weight, and when we as students, neighbors, and families stand together in solidarity, meaningful change can be brought about with every one of us. This walkout was more than a protest; it was a testament to the power of our community, a reminder that collective action is grounded in shared purpose and can shape the world we want to see.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

—Margaret Mead