Hundreds of Texas public school students walked out of classes on Friday as part of a national movement protesting immigration enforcement in the wake of the fatal shootings of two American citizens in January by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Students in Austin, Waco, San Antonio and elsewhere wielded signs and flyers protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as they walked out of classes. In downtown Austin on Friday afternoon, dozens of students could be seen heading toward the state Capitol down Congress Avenue before the start of a 5:30 p.m. protest. Austin Independent School District officers were nearby monitoring the students.
Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the Austin walkout and use of school officers in a social media post Friday evening and directed the Texas Education Commissioner to investigate the matter, stating school resources are not for “political indoctrination.”
