On Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, approximately 150 students chose to walk out of East in protest of ICE. The walkout was organized by Senior Madi O’Halloran, who spread the word through a social media page on Instagram, which amassed over 200 followers.
She conducted an Instagram poll to determine when and where students would leave the school. After third period, students who chose to partake in the peaceful protest headed to the underpass and exited the school through those doors.
Students walked along Main Street from school all the way to downtown St. Charles, which is about a 50-minute walk. Saints held signs criticizing our current administration and ICE, with some carrying Mexican flags as well.
Protesters shouted the chant “GET ICE OUT!” throughout the protest as they were honked at both in support and opposition.
After walking to the other side of the river, they turned around. Some students went home, while others chose to return to school to attend the remaining periods of the day.
According to the school, students who choose to protest are free to do so under the First Amendment as long as they do not “substantially disrupt” the learning environment. The school explained that the usual attendance policy would still stay in place, which means that students who chose to participate would be marked with an unexcused absence.
Junior Madeleine Steinhauser, who participated in the walkout, explained why she thought that this was a consequence worth taking: “Even though I knew I would get in trouble, the catalyst for me was the fact that a detention or being grounded is a small price to pay for the freedom of others.”
O’Halloran’s opinion was alike: “I believe that if we have the chance to make our voices heard and bring attention to a cause like this, we have a responsibility to take it.”
O’Halloran organized the event because of her own passion for social activism: “When there is a chance to stand up for my community, I will always take that chance.” She knew that others were also interested in the topic of having an ICE walkout, so she saw this as the perfect opportunity to organize one.
The walkout ended up exceeding O’Halloran’s expectations: “I never anticipated such a large turnout; it was a truly unifying moment for everyone involved. My goal was for everybody to bring the love, the support, the culture, and that is exactly what these amazing people did.”
In recent weeks, a growing number of high school students across the nation have been organizing and participating in walkouts against ICE. On Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, a week after East’s walkout, North students held a walkout as well, showing the growing student body in St. Charles that is passionate about the cause.
