HHS student protest put on ice

HHS students have a long history of holding public protests. But district officials put a stop to a planned protest against the immigration crackdown by ICE. File photo

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck High School students had planned to join in on what hundreds of other students have done across the country, and protest against ICE agents’ aggressive arrests of immigrants nationwide.
The protest was planned for this Friday (Feb. 6) during school hours, but the district administration put a stop to it, citing safety concerns.
Schools Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler posted a letter to the community, saying the students had not received permission to hold the protest during school hours.
“The organizers agreed that the safety of the students and the school community is their highest priority,” Larson-Shidler said.
He added that an alternative plan is being discussed.
“We are proud of our students for their willingness to engage in open dialogue and for their commitment to working within established district protocols,” Larson-Shidler said.
One of the student organizers, Laith Mohamed, a sophomore, told The Review that students have been affected by the news scenes of ICE agents in action.
“The most disturbing thing that some of my classmates and I have seen in the media about ICE is how violent they are. Currently, they’re ripping apart families, and killing U.S citizens,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed continued: “It sounds crazy but we’re living in a country where being of a different ethnicity means that you are subject to questioning. Which is morally wrong.”
He said students have agreed to work out an alternative plan.
“At whichever event we, as a student body (and administrators) decide on doing it, we intend on teaching students their rights, when to use them, and when they’re in violation by ICE agents,” Mohamed said.
In the meantime, the self-described “rising advocate for human rights,” urged the community “to speak up for what is morally right.”
Fellow student Nabiha Chowdhury said that despite Hamtramck being vulnerable for being targeted by ICE agents, it’s important to stand up for the legal rights of immigrants.
“Being a predominately immigrant community, stepping up is significant because it shows how youth show up in spite of their fear,” Chowdhury said.
“We hoped this would spark dialogue about immigration justice among students and combat the hopelessness people feel as they see ICE take away their loved ones.
“Some may argue that having an anti-ICE demonstration is counterintuitive for our vulnerable group, but it is empowering us with action as a group most directly affected by this issue.”
Hamtramck High School students have held rallies and protests in the past few years against gun violence at schools, and oil drilling in Alaska, and have marched against Israel aggression in Palestine.
Posted Feb. 6, 2026