JUST IN: Hundreds of ACHS students stage walkout against ICE

Published February 6, 2026 at 4:20PM

Students participating in a walkout Feb. 6, 2026 (courtesy Rosemary Pereira-Kyle)

Around 250 to 300 students walked out of both campuses of Alexandria City High School today (Friday) to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The student-led walkout lasted from around 2:15 to 2:45 p.m., according to ACPS. The event happened less than a month after hundreds of people gathered at Four Mile Run Park Plaza to protest ICE, after an officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

Middle and high school students at ACPS are allowed one excused absence per school year to engage in a civic event without disciplinary action, an ACPS spokesperson told ALXnow.

ACHS students last held a walkout in September against gun violence in schools.

Earlier today, a separate protest in Old Town gathered around Citizens Bank, condemning the bank’s dealings with an ICE detention center contractor.

About the Author

James Cullum

Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.