Kern High School students walked out of class Tuesday morning to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), one of two anti-ICE demonstrations held in downtown Bakersfield the same day. 

The morning walkout was organized by the group Organizing for a Better Change and brought students to the Kern County Superior Court. A separate demonstration later that day, billed as the “Free America Walkout,” was hosted by a coalition of community and advocacy groups, including Working Families Power, the Dolores Huerta Action Fund, Democratic Women of Kern, and the Women’s March. 

The protests come nearly a year after large-scale ICE raids in Kern County in January 2025. The enforcement activity spanned several days and resulted in the detention of 78 people. 

(Left photo) Ariana Gonzales, sophomore, holds a sign during a student walkout Tuesday morning in downtown Bakersfield to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Right photo) Daniel Montero, a senior, with his sign. 

One of the students was Ariana Gonzales, 15, who said she joined the walkout to oppose ICE activity in Kern County.

“It feels good helping my community,” Gonzales said. “I’m here against the ICE raids that are happening, and I came with my friends to protest.”

Daniel Montero, a senior, said he attended the walkout to support immigrant communities and raise awareness about what he described as inhumane treatment.

“A lot of the Latino community does so much for this country,” Montero said. “No matter if you’re left or right, what’s right is right. What’s happening isn’t humane, and we should be treated like humans.”

Protesters Allison Denson (left photo) and Anastasia Hopper(right photo) participating in the anti-ICE rally Tuesday in downtown Bakersfield. 

Participants at the afternoon rally said they gathered to oppose ICE and broader federal policies under the Trump administration that they believe threaten civil liberties.

“We’re here to fight against ICE and to protect what little freedoms we have left,” said protester Allison Denson. “I never thought we would be here doing this, but I’m fighting for our freedom.”

Anastasia Hopper, an Oildale resident, said she has attended multiple demonstrations over the past year and came to advocate for political accountability and expanded social services.

“Our democracy matters, and our Constitution matters,” Hopper said. “I grew up thinking this was one of the most tolerant and equitable countries in the world, and I want to make it that better place for my children.”

Retired Assemblywoman Nicole M. Parra, who represented Kern County in the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008, was one of the speakers at the afternoon rally. 

Parra, the granddaughter of immigrants, said she was taught at a young age that public service would be the most honorable work that she would ever do.

“What is happening now is not about protecting our jobs, our economy, or our border,” she said. “It is about protecting a small minority of people who fear those who do not look or act like them. They use fear, intimidation, and violence, but it will not work. Just look around here, we are. Veterans, teachers, judges, lawyers, students, workers, farmworkers, pastors, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. We are America.”

Former Kern County Supervisor Pete Parra was also one of the speakers. 

“We are facing a difficult time, but we will prevail. The people will prevail,” he said. “What is right is right, and what is happening now is not right. In the end, the people will rise up. Communities throughout the world are protesting not only here in the United States, but across the globe because they know what is right and what is being done to us is unjust.”

Nationally, ICE activity in other cities has also drawn attention recently. 

In Minneapolis, ICE has sparked large protests and national attention. Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot a woman during an enforcement operation, leading to weeks of demonstrations and criticism from local officials and community groups. The situation in Minneapolis has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement and civil rights.

On Wednesday, another ICE-related shooting in Southern California. Federal agents opened fire during an immigration operation in Compton after a man rammed a federal vehicle while attempting to flee, according to the Department of Homeland Security.