A whopping 303 Virginia high school students have been suspended for three days after staging a student-led, anti-ICE walkout.
The protest occurred last Friday and involved students at Woodbridge High School, Forest Park High School, and Gainesville Middle School, though only the Woodbridge students were later suspended.
The Woodbridge students were suspended because they left their school campus, which was a violation of Prince William County Public Schools’ (PWCS) Code of Behavior, with some of them even going all the way home.
“[P]articipants left campus and walked along Old Bridge Road [in Woodbridge],” according to D.C. station WJLA. “Some students reportedly went home, others walked more than two miles to a nearby shopping center, and some later returned to campus.”
300 Virginia high school students who ditched class for anti-ICE walkout suspended Some students reportedly went home after the protest, others headed to a nearby shopping center, and several returned to campus — where a few caused a disturbance. pic.twitter.com/otKMBvZLgV
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNahNah) February 20, 2026
As for those who did return to the school campus, several of them “made a disturbance inside the school” upon their return.
In a letter to parents, Woodbridge High School Principal Heather Abney wrote that while walkouts allow students to voice opinions on issues “important to them,” leaving campus during said walkouts violates district rules.
“We appreciate your partnership as we continue to prioritize student safety while maintaining clear expectations for appropriate conduct during the school day,” she wrote.
Despite the 303 suspensions, students across the entire district intend to conduct another walkout on Friday, Feb. 20, according to an Instagram page they’ve set up:
View this post on Instagram
“Welcome to Prince William County Schools ICE OUT,” one post on the Instagram page reads. “It’s time to take a stand and we are grateful to have the opportunity to exercise our constitutional rights.”
“As the walkout happening on Friday, February 20th will be county wide, it’s important to understand every campus has slightly different layouts and procedures, please stay alert for detailed instructions from us and your local student organizers regarding specific meetup spots. Rest assured that all school administrations have been informed of our plans, so participating will not get you in trouble,” it continues.
Over on social media, people have been celebrating the suspensions that were doled out to 303 Woodbridge students:
Good. These entitled kids think they can do whatever they want without consequences. Time to learn.
— TVFan101 (@TvFan101) February 20, 2026
Learning that actions have consequences is basically the best lesson you can teach a kid these days. It will literally save lives.
— blanky mcblank (@f4z6nxjqvx) February 20, 2026
Good – consequences!
Virginians don’t pay taxes to protest liberal-focused issues. They’d like their kids to actually achieve American educational standards – for once.— Red Dawn Warning🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🖖 (@RiverVic1974) February 20, 2026
This was a way for them to ditch classes. Not even old enough to vote. I hope they were all suspended. I was in the school system 32 years; you left the building or school grounds without permission you were suspended period.
— This*is*BS (@ThisisB54101143) February 20, 2026
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻we need more of this across the country. If you are a conservative and this was allowed to happen at your kids school you should look into filing a lawsuit for endangering the welfare of your children. Hit them in the pocket book and things will change quickly
— Contrarian Homo (@contrarianhomo) February 20, 2026
Critics have also pointed to what happened in Illinois, where, during an anti-ICE walkout, a boy with special needs wound up all alone miles away from school.
“A mother says she just wants answers after she found her son with special needs wandering miles away from his school when he was supposed to be in class,” Chicago station WLS reported.
The boy, Richard Harley, is now scared to return to school after having been abandoned by his peers.
“They were supposed to stay there, like on 72 by the school,” he told WLS. “But they did the exact opposite and went much farther, and no one even knew how far they were going. I was like the last one; so like, I was all alone.”
Learn more below:
An 11-year-old called his mom from the side of a busy highway, alone and terrified: “I’m very scared… come pick me up.”
His school didn’t even notice he was gone.
While Dundee Middle School was consumed by an ICE walkout, Harley — an 11-year-old with a federally protected… pic.twitter.com/aZdFhIbi8m
— Jake (@JakeCan72) February 20, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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