To, the superintendents of Georgia’s school districts, 

DEMANDS

1. ICE out of our schools! Administrators must refuse ICE entry on school grounds; no collaboration or information sharing with ICE
2. No retaliatory or disciplinary action against students or staff for walkouts or protesting racist injustices
3. Stop the school closures: defund ICE and fully fund public education!

We — students, parents, teachers and community members across Georgia —  strongly condemn the coordinated attacks by high school and college administrators threatening students with suspension and other disciplinary action for walking out to protest ICE.

Black and Somali student groups in Minneapolis called for students nationwide to take action in response to ICE, and the students answered. Over 150 schools in Georgia and tens of thousands of students across the country have walked out of classes in the past two weeks in solidarity with Minneapolis and in defense of immigrant communities who are under attack. 

We are outraged that multiple Georgia school districts are acting in coordination to intimidate students for standing up against injustice. From sending threatening emails to parents and students, to holding captive audience student assemblies, locking doors and exits to prevent students from engaging in walkouts—many administrators and principals have engaged in an intimidation campaign to pressure students to not protest ICE terror.

This is a violation of students’ First Amendment rights. Our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly extend to and beyond schools. 

Despite these vile threats, students refuse to back down. The student movement will not be intimidated! Students have a right and duty to protest to demand an end to ICE terror and Trump’s racist billionaire agenda. 

The walkouts are an expression of anger and contempt for an inhumane system of racist mass deportations that is denying students, their friends, neighbors, and family members basic human dignity. The abductions, murders and brutality of ICE are intolerable to any human being with a conscience. The idea that administrators – responsible for protecting and supporting their students – would instead punish them for being on the right side of history is inexcusable. 

We stand with our youth that are acting righteously. There is historical legitimacy to what they are doing. Young people in this country have always been at the forefront of the struggles for social change. Students today are acting in the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement. It was students who acted decisively – organizing sit-ins, marches, walkouts, even going to jail to end racist Jim Crow. 

The same school administrators who claim to honor MLK are immorally intimidating students who are doing exactly what Dr. King did! School administrators who seek to punish students effectively stand in support of ICE's reign of terror. We are demanding that the superintendents of school districts and administrators of schools across Georgia voice full support for students walking out for immigrant rights. 

Sign this petition to demand that Georgia school administrations immediately stop threatening, disciplining, or suspending students for walking out in defense of immigrant rights. ICE out of our schools and communities!