Outrage After Florida Teachers Union Says Children Protesting ICE is ‘Required’
Florida students walk out to protest ICE. Image: Video screenshot.
Debate over immigration enforcement and student activism has intensified in several states, as school officials, unions, and policymakers clash over protests tied to U.S. immigration policy and the role of educators in political issues.
At a February 2026 press conference hosted by the Florida Education Association, Zander Moricz, founder and executive director of the Social Equity and Education (SEE) Alliance, defended student walkouts and demonstrations related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Moricz argued that students exposed to reports of immigration raids and family separations are responding in historically consistent ways. “They organize, they speak out, and they do what American students have always done in moments of injustice,” he said. “They stand together and demand safety for their peers, their families, and themselves.” He added that such activism is “rational” and, in the current climate, “required.”
BREAKING: The Florida teachers union says children protesting immigration enforcement “is REQUIRED.”
They’re using your kids to advance their political agenda.
These socialist unions must be destroyed. pic.twitter.com/0ASlxBVEa2
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) February 15, 2026
Moricz also emphasized students’ free-speech rights: “This is the United States of America. You do not shed your First Amendment rights when you step foot through the school.”
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas sharply criticized the demonstrations and the role of unions and advocacy groups. He said some organizers were “using children as pawns to carry out their radical political agenda,” warning that participation in walkouts could affect students’ disciplinary records. Kamoutsas added that district leaders had indicated disciplinary action was forthcoming in multiple cases.
Teacher unions are again using children as pawns to carry out their radical political agenda. Their actions could result in lasting consequences for a student’s educational record—yet they are willing to put politics above what is best for students.
I’ve been in communication… https://t.co/wJWjpS0MPy
— Anastasios Kamoutsas (@StasiKamoutsas) February 15, 2026
Reports of anti-ICE protests in schools have emerged from several states. In Nebraska, a student at Fremont High School was struck by a vehicle during a demonstration; her mother later accused school administrators of failing to ensure student safety and allowing protest materials to be created during class time. In Texas, video circulated online showing a confrontation during a student walkout. Separate claims have also surfaced about protest materials appearing in federally funded Minnesota schools, though details vary by district.
Immigration-related activism has extended to younger grades as well. At Chloe Day School in New York City, a classroom activity included signs opposing immigration enforcement and expressing criticism of Donald Trump.
The developments reflect a broader national dispute over immigration policy, student protest rights, and the extent to which political issues should be addressed in public education settings. Supporters of the demonstrations frame them as civic engagement and free expression, while critics argue schools should remain focused on academics and student welfare rather than political advocacy.
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