Shelter-in-Place Halts South End Student Walkout Amid Unconfirmed ICE Reports

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) issued a shelter-in-place order on Jan. 20 due to unconfirmed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, an order that kept students inside four South End schools for part of the day. While the order scuttled planned student walkouts, it also motivated some parents and community members to visit sheltering schools to offer students support.

The shelter-in-place impacted multiple schools, including Asa Mercer International Middle School, Aki Kurose Middle School, Cleveland STEM High School, and Maple Elementary. Various news agencies reported that claims of ICE activity in South Seattle were unconfirmed.

SPS sent messages to parents and guardians that shelter-in-place orders had been issued. A shelter-in-place order requires schools to keep all exterior doors locked but continue normal school operations inside, according to an email sent to SPS schools and staff.

Washington state law mandates that public school districts limit to "the fullest extent possible" immigration enforcement at schools. "This ensures schools remain safe and accessible to all Washington residents, regardless of immigration or citizenship status."

But the order did more than keep students inside schools: It kept some students from participating in planned student walkouts.

At Mercer, a planned walkout was scheduled for 2 p.m. Outside the Beacon Hill middle school, Theresa Neinas, a community member hoping to support students, held handmade signs, including one that showed bloody ice cubes.

But no large group of students came out of the school building. Other adult supporters showed up outside.

Then Arbor, a parent of a student at Mercer who asked to only use their first name, shared the news: Students were inside and couldn't participate in the walkout because there was a shelter-in-place order.

Arbor said the shelter order was instituted shortly before the walkout was planned to start. Arbor added that their child had planned to participate and that "other kids that my child is friends with … planned on leaving, [but] didn't because of the shelter in place."

Minutes later, a 13-year-old eighth grade student left the school for the walkout and joined adults with signs who stood on the sidewalk. Together, they waved to passing cars that honked horns. Later, another young person joined the adults, then left with the first student. The adults remained, but the planned walkout never materialized.

The local walkout was part of a larger national movement called "Free America: Walkout," sponsored by the group Women's March. The walkout campaign was scheduled to occur on the one-year anniversary of Trump's second inauguration.

The shelter-in-place orders were lifted at various times at different schools. Sen. Rebecca Saldaña posted on Instagram that her child attends Cleveland, which had received unspecified threats. After the order was lifted at Cleveland, her child, she added, would be joining students "across Seattle in a walkout to protest ICE's intimidation campaign."

At the end of the school day at Cleveland, community members stood outside near 15th Avenue South to offer support for students who were leaving. Staff and security guards walked around the building. News crews interviewed guardians and students about sheltering in place and unconfirmed ICE sightings. Individuals with Tanggol Migrante Movement and Defend Migrants Alliance passed out "Know Your Rights" pamphlets and whistle kits.

Scott, an adult standing outside Cleveland, said they were part of a group of North Beacon Hill residents that had participated in rapid-response training. After Scott learned about unconfirmed ICE activity, they said they visited multiple area schools but didn't see any action of federalized troops.

Even so, Scott returned to Cleveland before 3:40 p.m., when the school day ended, to ensure students felt safe leaving school. Scott said individuals in their community had shared information about rapid-response training to teach members how to respond to potential ICE activity. "This is the first time we've actually had to do a thing that wasn't us preparing to do a thing," said Scott.

But Scott added they were acting in a way that others could do too. "Everyone in the community should understand that they can do this," they said. "Training is helpful, but just being around and being available: You don't have to be trained to be empathetic. Just care."

Additional reporting by Rosette Royale.

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Jan. 21 to accurately reflect that only four area schools sheltered in place on Jan. 20. Seattle Public Schools (SPS) had mistakenly reported that six schools received shelter-in-place orders, a number SPS has since corrected.