On January 30th, ICE OUT Day, I went to school because, selfishly, I had to. It doesn’t mean I care any less about the subject. I went to school so I could attend my team’s rugby game, and because if you miss two classes, you can’t attend after-school activities. For my team, I showed up because they are my direct obligation, and because I have the privilege to do so.

But to say that what’s happening right now is not my obligation would be ignorant and insensible.

I can’t act like my aunt isn’t working directly to help my cousins so they don’t get deported to a country they aren’t even from. I can’t act like my sweet little cousins aren’t having to watch their family be ripped apart, their older brother detained. I can’t sit in class while ICE is detaining young children, children my own age, who are afraid to go to school at all. 

With the 2025 rescission of the “Sensitive Locations” policy, which removed long-standing protections for schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Allowing enforcement in these spaces does not create safety, it creates disruption, and distrust, it creates trauma.

So I went to school because I have the privilege to attend. I went because I had to show up for my team. I’m not saying my decision is right or wrong, I’m just stating the decision I made. I know I’m not the only one who had to make a conflicting choice like this. This is a gut-wrenching reality shared by many of us.

But this is not about going to school or not. It is about families in our community and communities across the country from California to DC to Minnesota and New York, whose lives have been changed by the looming presence of ICE and by policies such as “Common Sense Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas” (2025), which allow enforcement near spaces meant to be safe. Innocent human lives are being steered toward devastation.

I know from personal experience how hopeless it can feel to be a young person in this society. We are often made to feel powerless, like our actions won’t have any impact on the world. Especially when we see policies like the 287(g) agreements enforced, which allow local law enforcement to act as immigration agents, internal fear fractures trust within our communities.

Our names are Keira Kennedy and Olivia Henry, and we are writing this petition to inspire change in our national community and to foster advocacy among our generation.

America was founded on the principles of liberty, justice, and equality. The Constitution states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Yet policies such as ICE Directive 11003.6, which expands enforcement authority and increases detention, undermines those values and puts families, children at direct risk of separation.

We are pleading for humanity, compassion, and stronger protective measures. Think about your mom, your dad, your sister, what if it were you?

It is time for our politicians to introduce policies that prioritize the safety and security of families and communities. We are asking our leaders to step up and recognize the urgent need to repeal harmful enforcement measures, restore protections for sensitive locations, end 287(g) agreements, and revise ICE directives that enable family separation and fear.

The Ninth Amendment affirms that fundamental rights are retained by the people. We call on our leaders to honor that principle by ending systems that force families to live in fear of sudden raids and deportations, and by upholding our constitutional values of dignity and humanity for all people.

 We, the youth, the students, the next generation, have the privilege and power to urge change and demand a future where compassion is at the forefront of not only immigration discussions, but political conversations in a myriad topics. It's vital that every family, every individual, is given the opportunity for stability without the looming threat of deportation.
So, I ask each of you to stand with me, with us, as a collective force to fight for justice. Let us act swiftly to convey to our politicians the utmost urgency of this issue.

Sign this petition to sign your name and demand action now and safeguard the future of our communities. This petition will be sent to California senator Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, Representative Liz Ortega and more to show that we want change. Your support CAN be the catalyst for meaningful change. Let our politicians hear our call to action loud and clear. Its more than just politics, so lets make some change before it is too late.