Lincoln-Way West High School sophomores Ashlynn Elena and Haley Lewis are tired of seeing the fear they said is being caused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents throughout the country.

So, the two teenagers decided to organize a student walkout to protest the ICE policies of the Trump administration on Friday.

“With this protest, we are hoping to bring attention to what is happening,” Lewis said. “Families are being ripped apart, and people are getting murdered.”

Chanting “No Justice, No Peace, Get ICE off our streets,” the group of students staged a protest near the intersection of Nelson and Laraway roads in New Lenox, a few blocks from the school.

The same chant was used in mass protests across the country following the January fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

Friday’s student protest was peaceful. Elena and Lewis welcomed everyone to participate.

“The point is to be open and to bring attention and awareness,” Lewis said. “It doesn’t matter what your political stance is or who you support.”

The students were told by the Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 administration that if they were part of a student walkout, they would face disciplinary actions of four detentions for each period they missed. Those participating in the student walkout missed two periods during the school day.

District 210 officials could not be reached for comment regarding the discipline the students will receive. According to the district’s student handbook, “unexcused absence and/or truancy will result in a discipline referral. Detentions will be assigned for truancy and/or unauthorized leaving. Students are not to leave school property and then return.”

“Yes, it is a school, but we have the right to protest,” Elena said.

The students were happy with how the walkout went.

“It wasn’t violent, and people were using their voice,” Elena said. “People were very excited to do this, and they were very happy to do it.”

In reaction to the protest, a Turning Point USA affiliate operating as Club America held a prayer around a flag pole on the school grounds to pray for the nation, their school and ICE agents.

Turning Point USA is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses. Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot last year by a rooftop sniper while speaking at a TPUSA debate event at Utah Valley University.

Friday’s student protest came the day before thousands of No Kings protests are planned to take place across the country – including several in Will County – in opposition to Trump administration policies.