On Thursday, January 29, 2026, hundreds of Terra Linda High School students held a walkout to protest recent actions regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and President Donald Trump. Students met in front of the TL new gym during brunch and marched for nearly two hours, from 10:00 AM to lunch, meaning those who protested voluntarily skipped their third-period classes. The students first marched along Nova Albion Way to Northgate, and then walked past the local Safeway to the Marin Civic Center, before eventually returning to school at around 12:00 PM.

The walkout was sparked by recent violence between ICE agents and civilians in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On January 7, 2026, 37-year-old Renee Good was shot dead by an ICE officer while attempting to drive away in her car. A few weeks later, on January 24, an ICE agent fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, after he was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by several agents. “I understand that ICE agents are people, but what they’re doing is not humane,” says TL senior and walkout participant Penny Carroll.

Many participants in the walkout carried anti-ICE signs with expressions like, “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “The wrong ice is melting,” and chanted phrases including “F*** ICE,” and “F*** Donald Trump.” Other students drove alongside their peers in cars to show their support, and strangers driving by honked or called out to demonstrate solidarity. 

Several members of TL staff—including Principal Katy Dunlap, AP U.S. History teacher Alex Robins, and Assistant Principal Lauren Inman—accompanied the students for parts of the walkout to ensure student safety. Police officers were also present during portions of the protest; notably, an officer on a motorcycle rode alongside the students as they marched down Golden Hinde Boulevard toward the end of the walkout.

Other high schools in the Bay Area have also organized protests in recent weeks for similar reasons. Redwood High School students participated in a walkout on January 20. On January 28, students from Overfelt High School and East Side San Jose High School, both located in San Jose, walked out of school to protest ICE and the Trump Administration.

Students at Terra Linda were especially motivated to protest ICE, given the school’s large Latinx population—a demographic which has been the target of the vast majority of ICE detainments and deportations. According to data from the California Department of Education, 50.9% of TLHS students identify as Hispanic or Latinx.

The walkout was organized by Olga Chan, a TL senior and self-described “first generation Latina student,” who was inspired by other recent student protests. “I saw Redwood High School doing [a walkout] as well and I realized that it’s time for us to stand up as students,” Chan said. “To show off who we are, especially being proud of who Latinos are… we’re not less than others.”

Chan felt that a walkout would be the most powerful method of protest and raise the most awareness of the issue. “I hope that TL and the school district from San Rafael can see the impact that Terra Linda High School can [have], not only for immigrants but also for different other cultures,” Chan said before the protest.

“I was feeling super moved by how everyone in the school gathered around to protest on actual things that are happening in our country,” TL freshman Samar Khan said. But as much as the walkout centered on current events related to ICE and the Trump Administration, many students also used it as an opportunity to protest adults, both within and outside of the Terra Linda High School community. “People saw how our adults, who are supposed to be the ones advocating for us, aren’t even talking about it, and instead just sitting around and acting as if nothing is happening,” said Khan.

Principal Dunlap posted a message via ParentSquare on the afternoon of January 28 to clarify the school’s role in the protest. “Please note that this activity is not sponsored by the school or district,” she wrote. “Any missed class time due to participation [in the walkout] will be considered an unexcused absence.” Some teachers took this policy a step further and would not allow students to retake assessments at a later time, meaning many walkout participants returned to class early. 

Many students took these actions as the school’s punishment for speaking out. But, as Dunlap noted in her email, the school did not intend to stifle free speech. “We recognize that students have a right to peacefully express their views,” Dunlap wrote.

The walkout provided students with the opportunity to speak out against authority—both at the national level and within the greater TL community. The walkout brought criticism of ICE and the Trump Administration to the forefront of the Terra Linda High School community. Throughout the country, students have led similar protests against ICE, all with the hope of bringing about change within the government.