Hundreds of Lexington students walk out of class to protest ICE in a ‘peaceful effort’

Between 200 and 250 students at Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School participated in a walkout Tuesday to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a Fayette County Public Schools official confirmed.

School staff supported “their peaceful effort,” FCPS spokesperson Miranda Scully said.

“School staff worked directly with students and families to first ensure their safety and second to foster an environment where students felt empowered to engage with the world around them,” Scully said. “We appreciate the respectful manner in which our students conducted themselves today as well as thank our administrators and staff for supporting their peaceful effort.”

The walkout occurred on the first day students were back after in-person classes had been canceled for 11 days due to a winter storm.

Walkouts to protest ICE had been rumored for several days, including in a letter circulated by a group called Kentucky Youth For Change, which urged all Fayette County high school students to walk out to protest recent ICE activities.

Dunbar Principal Scott Loscheider said in a Tuesday letter to families that a group of students participated in a walkout to share their perspectives on Immigration and ICE.

“We are writing to share how this event was handled and to reaffirm our commitment to both student expression and school safety,” he said.

“At Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, we aim to foster an environment where students feel empowered to engage with the world around them. In alignment with Kentucky’s commitment to student rights we recognize that our students are developing their own voices as members of the community,” Loscheider said. “We appreciate the respectful manner in which our students conducted themselves today.”

The primary goal is to ensure a safe environment for everyone on campus, he said. During the event, school administration and FCPS law enforcement were present to ensure that students remained in a secure, supervised area on school grounds.

“ We remained focused on maintaining a productive day for all students. While we respect the passion behind today’s activity, it is our responsibility to uphold our standard attendance policies and focus on student learning,’ said Loscheider said.

He said as part of standard procedure and “to ensure fairness for all, the time missed from class will be recorded as an unexcused absence.”

“We view these moments as opportunities for students to learn how to express their viewpoints thoughtfully. We encourage families to discuss today’s events at home, and our counselors remain available for any students who wish to engage in further conversation in a supportive school setting,” Loscheider said.

School officials previously warned students could be subject to discipline if they walked out of class in protest.

This protest was the latest in a nationwide trend. ICE has been under scrutiny during President Donald Trump’s second term, as he has pushed the agency to ramp up deportations. But attention on ICE’s actions escalated after officers with the agency shot and killed two people in Minneapolis last month.

“Students from all across the district are organizing walkouts to protests against the Trump Administration blatant disregard for the constitution and the vile actions recently committed by Immigration Customs and Enforcement department of the DHS,” the group previously wrote. “This is district-wide, and we would like as many schools as possible to participate.”

This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 6:05 PM.