AUSTIN, Texas – Students at an Austin high school left class to make their voices heard after a 28-year-old Venezuelan man was shot by an ICE agent in north Austin.
On Friday, Anderson High School students organized a walkout focused on immigration enforcement and showing support to people in their community following the shooting of Wilber Garcés Pérez. The Department of Homeland Security says the Venezuelan man was in the United States illegally.
“It’s important to show that we actually care about these issues,” Anderson High School senior Belle Robinson said. “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, young people don’t care. Young people just aren’t aware of what’s going on.’ We are aware of what’s going on, and we want to fight to have this change be made.”
Students encouraged others to participate in elections and stay alert to social issues. They said the walkout was also about urging more young people to pay attention and speak up, even if they are not yet old enough to vote.
“We’re the same no matter what, no matter our skin color, no matter where we came from; we are all people and that’s the whole entire point is that we are people, we all are here,” said Anderson High School senior Roman Saldana. “People think that their small voice, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t going to mean anything. But when you go out there, when you put your vote in, when you go to the ballot box, you’re making a change. No matter how small you feel you are, we’re America.”
“I’m proud of all of these kids,” Anderson High School parent Daphne Hoffacker. “We talk about parents wanting rigorous education for our kids, but this is the most rigorous education that our children could have.”