Ives, Erkenswick say ‘Free America’ student walkout is politically motivated
Jeanne Ives, former state representative and founder of Breakthrough Ideas, said a planned student walkout at Wheaton Warrenville South High School (WWSHS) reflects students' indoctrination on immigration issues.
The 15-minute walkout, scheduled for Jan. 20, is being organized to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Chicago area.
Ives says the protest is politically motivated, arguing it overlooks similar immigration enforcement under previous administrations.
“Students considering a walkout over Trump tell you how indoctrinated and uninformed they are about policies and laws in America,” Ives told DuPage Policy Journal. “Did they walk out when Barack Obama gave Tom Homan a public service award in 2015 for deporting hundreds of thousands of illegals? No.”
WWSHS, which provides an educational setting for around 2,200 students, is part of Community Unit School District 200 which serves around 13,000 students across roughly 20 facilities, including elementary, middle and two high schools.
Ives, who currently serves as CEO of Breakthrough Ideas and as a radio host for “The Real Story” on AM 560 The ANSWER in Chicago, added that the walkout reflects a lack of historical awareness among students.
“They don't know history, law, or understand American values," she said. “However, these are likely kids who spend too much time watching Greta Thunberg TikTok videos and they likely don't represent the majority of students at WWS. And walking out 15 minutes before school ends isn't that brave.”
The flyer below has been posted to social media promoting the event.
Amy Erkenswick, a CUSD200 community member and parent, says she questions the protest's origins.
“I do wonder though if the interest in participating came from adults in the building,” Erkenswick told the DuPage Policy Journal. “That's really the concern. I'd love to know where the interest initiated.”
Erkenswick went on to stress the importance of balancing students’ rights with school neutrality.
"While the right to free speech and peaceful protest is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy and one that students should be encouraged to understand and respect rather than to participate in politically charged events like the Free America Walk Out,” she said.
She further emphasized the school’s role in safeguarding impartiality.
“Schools have a responsibility to remain politically neutral environments focused on education rather than activism,” Erkenswick said. “One can only hope that student participation will be genuinely voluntary and informed, and not the result of pressure or influence from ideologically driven teachers’ unions or activist lobbyists. Upholding free expression must go hand in hand with protecting students from being steered toward any particular political agenda."
On the sign-up sheet, organizers say the walkout is intended to teach “collective action” and civic engagement.
“One year into Donald Trump’s presidency, our nation is faced with a threat to democracy,” the Google Form reads. “There are military raids in our communities, troops occuping [sic] our cities, attacks on immigrants, families torn apart, and many many other injustices.”
Above: Screenshot of Google Form event description.
According to the Google Form, organizers are promoting the walkout as being about “learning how to move together, take up space, and show that we’re paying attention” noting it “isn’t about skipping school or causing chaos. It’s about being in solidarity with each other, with our communities and with the rest of the country."
Those who sign up via the form are prompted to check a box requiring them “to be peaceful, and respectful, and accept any consequences that may come as a result of truancy.”
The walkout comes amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement, as federal officials say ICE and Border Patrol officers have faced a spike in vehicle-related assaults and threats during operations — a danger the Department of Homeland Security has flagged publicly in recent months.
Those concerns have been amplified by several recent use-of-force incidents involving federal agents, including the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of a 37-year-old driver, Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and a Portland, Oregon, stop in which CBP shot two illegal aliens from Venezuela.
Authorities said vehicles were weaponized against officers in both incidents.
Chicago has seen similar flashpoints tied to Operation Midway Blitz, the immigration crackdown launched in September. DHS and news reports have documented repeated demonstrations outside the Broadview ICE processing center.
The White House has cited at least eight attacks on ICE facilities nationwide, including one that resulted in two deaths and another in which an ICE agent in Texas was shot in the neck during an attack launched by an anarchist militia group with ties to the Black Lives Matter movement.