Bloomfield Student Walkout: Photos Give An Inside Look At Anti-ICE Protest

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A student-led school walkout against ICE continues to spark debate in Bloomfield.

A large crowd of Bloomfield High School students held a walkout on Tuesday afternoon to protest the federal immigration crackdown taking place under the Trump administration. The rally began at the high school and moved to outside Town Hall.

The teens carried signs that read “Education Not Deportation,” “We Are All Immigrants” and “Abolish ICE.”

>> READ MORE: North Jersey Students Hold Anti-ICE Walkout

Bloomfield district administrators released a statement about the demonstration earlier this week with the school community, which was shared on local Facebook group Bloomfield Pulse.

“While we recognize that civic engagement and participation in the democratic process are worthwhile endeavors, please be advised that this is not a school-sponsored event,” principal Chris Jennings wrote.

Classes will proceed as scheduled, attendance will be taken, and students are expected to be in their assigned locations, the letter stated.

“Bloomfield High School strives to be a welcoming environment for everyone,” the letter continues. “A vital part of the democratic process is that all beliefs are respected. While we appreciate students finding their voices, it is equally important that no student feels compelled to participate in an unsanctioned demonstration.”

The protest turned heads in Bloomfield, with onlookers, social media users, local politicians and the participating students themselves sharing photos and videos from the scene.

Here’s what people reported:

STUDENTS

According to Revel Carlberg-West and Gabriella Militello – two Glen Ridge High School students who documented the rally – the walkout began at 12:50 p.m. Students walked from the south doors and went south on Broad Street, eventually turning south on Bloomfield Avenue and marching to the Bloomfield Municipal Building.

Gathering on the front steps and sidewalk, the students took turns speaking into a megaphone, chanting and sharing stories. Students stayed until about 2 p.m. – and no violence or disorderly conduct was observed, they said.

See more photos from Carlberg-West and Militello in the gallery above.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

The protest caught the attention of several people who happened to be traveling through the area at the time. One person shared video footage of the view from the steps of Town Hall.

“Cruising down Bloomfield Avenue and it looked like the whole Bloomfield school district was on a protest march against ICE,” a social media commenter wrote.

Steve Moctezuma – a local photographer who has documented other recent protests in town – said he caught sight of the walkout as he was driving near the intersection of Broad and Liberty streets.

Moctezuma snapped some photos of the protest and shared them with Patch (see more here).

POLITICIANS

Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell posted a message of support for the students, saying she “deeply respects our students’ right to peacefully express themselves and make their voices heard.”

Mundell – who issued a statement of her own about recent ICE activity in North Jersey – said it is encouraging to see young people take an active interest in their community.

“We must recognize that students are not insulated from the world around them; they are often deeply impacted by the uncertainty they see in the news and the challenges facing their own neighbors and families,” the mayor said.

“Here, in Bloomfield, we hear them and want them to know we are doing everything in our power to keep them safe and stand up for what is right,” Mundell said.

Not everyone agreed with Mundell.

“What a disgrace,” a social media commenter wrote in reaction to the mayor’s post.

“Indoctrination of our children with liberal ideologies and agendas in plain sight for all to see, and the mayor is very proud of this,” he criticized.

Joan Hussey, who ran for Bloomfield mayor last year as an independent candidate, said the walkout was “foundational American values in action.”

Tracy Toler-Phillips, who was recently sworn-in as an at-large town council member in Bloomfield, also lent support for the walkout.

“I am proud to live in a town where our young people feel empowered to stand up for what they believe in,” Toler-Phillips said. “Seeing the BHS students in our town organize and make their voices heard against ICE is a testament to the future we are building together. They aren't just the leaders of tomorrow – they are leading right now.”

Other supporters included U.S. Congress candidate Analilia Mejia, who brought snacks for the students and rallied alongside them outside the Bloomfield municipal building.

Mejia, a Glen Ridge resident, thanked the students for speaking out.

“This is what democracy looks like,” she said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

The protest saw a mix of responses on social media.

“This is not education, this is indoctrination,” a critic of the march countered, sharing video footage from the scene that shows Mejia leading a chant that ended with the phrase: “F*** ICE.”

Other people who saw the walkout said they were inspired by the students.

“Kudos to the kids of Bloomfield High School that know if they don’t stand for something they’ll fall for anything,” a commenter said.

“Proud of my sister and the Bloomfield High students for walking out in order to protest ICE in front of town hall,” another person commented.

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