Hundreds of Chattahoochee High School students held a walkout on Jan. 23 to protest ICE’s actions in Georgia, and more high schools are joining in.
In December 2025, Georgia saw the 4th most ICE arrests in the United States. As of Jan. 28, thousands of Georgia students in over 20 schools have all walked out in protest.
What’s Happening: About 200 students at Chattahoochee High School walked out of school peacefully on Jan. 23. The protest focused on ICE activity and their violence in northern states. Students walked a mile down Taylor Road and Jones Bridge Road, holding signs that read “Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants”, “Families Belong Together”, and “Fund Education, Not Deportation”.
After the protest, student organizers noted that “the best part of the protest was when we saw an elementary school bus drive by and the kids were cheering for us. That restored so much faith in all of us. The kids know what’s right.”
Faculty’s Response: Chattahoochee’s principal, Dr. Michael Todd, sent an email warning students about consequences for participating. “Fulton County Schools respects students’ rights to free expression and encourages thoughtful, respectful civic engagement.” Todd said in the letter. He warns that “disrupting class, leaving campus or class without permission, or participating in a walkout during the school day may result in consequences consistent with district policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Consequences are based on conduct, not viewpoint.”
Despite this, no consequences were given to the protestors as of Jan. 29.
What’s Next: Chattahoochee student organizers have said that “we’re continuing to make our voices heard. However, we will not be organizing again for at least a few weeks because we believe the first protest was really successful.”
Other Fulton high schools like Johns Creek High School and Northview High School are also planning walkouts in the following days.
