High school and college students from across South Miami-Dade County walked out of class Wednesday in an effort to protest deportation policies expected from President-elect Donald Trump.
The walkout, organized by the immigrant rights group COSECHA, was done to promote the movement to make school campuses into sanctuary locations for students against possible deportation.
Students marched from their schools – including Homestead and South Dade Senior High Schools and Miami Dade College’s Homestead campus – to Homestead City Hall for a rally to promote the cause.
Dozens of students made their way out of the schools, some carrying signs saying "here to stay" and "love trumps hate."
The students began chanting "up, up with education, down, down with deportation" at the city hall rally.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials released a statement on the walkout.
A relatively small number of Miami-Dade students left school today to participate in a march to Homestead City Hall that was organized by an outside immigration advocacy group. School administrators were concerned for student safety, because many of the busy highways in the area are without sidewalks, placing students at risk," the statement read. "The outsiders proposing the walkout failed to meet with district officials to assist in finding safe alternatives. The Code of Student Conduct, which is the District’s policy that creates a safe learning environment to ensure academic success, will be utilized to address students for leaving school grounds without permission."
The protest comes on the heels of demonstrations in Downtown Miami, Wynwood and Fort Lauderdale over the weekend.
