Pottstown HS Students Stage Anti-ICE 'Walk Out' Wednesday

POTTSTOWN, PA — A large number of Pottstown High School students walked out of school on Wednesday afternoon in protest of ICE enforcement activities around the region, the latest student organized demonstration against the Trump administration in Montgomery County in recent weeks.

Students walked out at 11:30 a.m. and took to the streets on a predetermined route through town, driving cars and marching on sidewalks with flags, banners, and signs. Participants honked horns, cheered, and chanted "ICE out," which has become a common refrain for those standing against immigration enforcement activities.

Unlike other local school districts which condemned the activities of students or penalized students for missing classes, Pottstown issued a statement of comparative cooperation. The school district provided adult chaperones as a security precaution and in case of an emergency, and worked with the Pottstown Police Department to ensure the protest was completed without issue.

Pottstown Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez did say the district "neither promoted nor discouraged" the event.

"Since the Supreme Court decision of Tinker v. Des Moines, the law has clearly established that students may participate in free speech and demonstrations, but may not disrupt the school environment," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Although this occurred during the school day, it was neither promoted nor discouraged by school officials, and occurred off school property. We had nothing to do with the organization or planning of the event."

It follows a similar protest at nearby Methacton on Tuesday, and protests at Spring-Ford, Pottsgrove, and elsewhere around the county last week.

"Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of all of our students," Rodriguez added.

The protest comes after a surge of ICE activity in Montgomery County recently, sparking responses from local police departments and the district attorney's office clarifying their role in immigration activities. The statements all said essentially the same thing: local departments are bound by law to honor warrants, but deeper levels of cooperation, including allowing ICE to use local personnel and facilities, only occur when municipalities are part of a federal cooperation program. No Montgomery County police departments have agreed to that federal program.