Particle.news
Download on the App Store
24 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Student Walkouts Over Immigration Enforcement Expand to Houston-Area Schools as Texas Officials Probe Austin ISD

Texas scrutiny is testing district efforts to balance safety, discipline, and student speech during school-day demonstrations.

Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived.
A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop as a school bus passes on Friday, January 30, 2026, in Minneapolis.
Image
Students protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Pflugerville Justice Center in Pflugerville on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Hundreds of students walked out of classes and marched from Pflugerville, Hendrickson, Connally and Weiss high schools. They converged at the justice center and rallied for more than an hour before dispersing as a large law enforcement presence arrived.

Overview

  • Thousands of students at Elkins High School in Fort Bend ISD walked out Tuesday morning, gathering on campus grounds to protest recent ICE activity and urging the district to reaffirm protections for immigrant students.
  • Hundreds of Chicago Public Schools students from multiple North Side campuses left class Monday for a River Park rally, with CPS permitting limited civic action and local aldermen assisting as volunteer marshals.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton demanded Austin ISD records on staff roles and policies after last week’s walkouts, following Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a TEA inquiry and his public threat to consider stripping funding from schools he says fail to curb disruptions.
  • Houston-area districts including Fort Bend, Katy, Conroe, and Cypress-Fairbanks reiterated that walkouts during instructional time are not sanctioned, warning of unexcused absences and possible discipline while deploying staff and police to keep students safe.
  • Student organizers cite fear and outrage tied to recent enforcement killings in Minneapolis, and districts stress the protests are not school-sponsored with absences unexcused, though some staff accompanied students to help ensure safety.