Students walkout in LA to protest ICE raids in schools

Several hundred students from high schools across the Los Angeles area staged a walkout Tuesday to protest federal immigration policies. 

Follow FOX 11's blog with the latest updates provided on the LA immigration protests:

Dispersal order issued

4 p.m.: The LAPD has issued a dispersal order for immigration protesters outside City Hall, directing protesters to move west through Grand Park or be subject to arrest. Some of the crowd are now reported to be heading south on Broadway from Temple.

Protests continue in downtown LA

1:12 p.m.: Aerial images from SkyFOX showed hundreds of protesters in downtown Los Angeles outside City Hall. The group included students from Garfield, Roosevelt and Lincoln high schools. 

Santa Ana Unified School District responds

12:25 p.m.: The Santa Ana Unified School District confirmed in a statement "it appears most of our high schools have students participating."

"We have some students walking out in response to immigration-related concerns. We don’t have an estimate yet as walkouts are currently occurring," the district said.

Santa Ana students join walkout 

11:55 a.m.: A group of students were seen on a median, holding signs along with several displays of the Mexico flag.

LA immigration legislation

11:45 a.m.: Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced five proposals intended to strengthen labor and immigration protections, which he said would address renewed threats of mass deportations, work-site raids and targeted enforcement actions.

One proposal seeks to establish a "Know Your Rights Campaign," a citywide public education effort to inform immigrants about their rights, nondiscrimination protections and other resources available to them.

‘Very peaceful’ demonstration

11:25 a.m.: The LAPD's Central Division is reporting delays in the El Pueblo area due to the demonstration, but police say the "demonstration is currently on the sidewalk and very peaceful."

Students stage walkout

11:15 a.m.: Several hundred students from high schools across the Los Angeles area staged a walkout Tuesday to protest federal immigration policies. 

SkyFOX was over the large group as they gathered outside City Hall, then walked down Cesar Chavez. The students eventually gathered on the Main Street overpass of the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. 

Students are believed to have walked out of Garfield and Marshall high schools.

Anti-ICE protests across SoCal

This is the latest demonstration in the LA area in protest of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. 

The protests began Sunday in downtown Los Angeles, where thousands of protesters gathered to march in solidarity. The group ended up blocking traffic on both sides of the 101 Freeway, causing severe traffic delays.

The following day, protests continued in the same area. At least 200 people were detained for nonviolent reasons, according to police, and were cited and released.

Immigration crackdown

ICE agents began targeting major sanctuary cities immediately after Trump's inauguration, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. The following day, Trump lifted longtime guidelines that restricted ICE from operating at "sensitive locations" such as schools, churches or hospitals.

Last weekend, the DEA in LA said it's cooperating with federal law enforcement partners on immigration enforcement. Also, ICE officers from ERO Los Angeles posted several photos on social media showing the arrests made. ICE raids were also reported in Riverside, Pomona, and San Diego.

SUGGESTED: Anti-ICE protesters rally in downtown LA against Trump immigration crackdown

The decision has worried many migrants and advocates who fear children will be traumatized by seeing their parents arrested in the drop-off line at school or that migrants needing medical care won’t go to the hospital for fear of arrest.

The Source: Information for this story is from previous FOX 11 reports. City News Service contributed.

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