A week after ICE detained five people in Lawrence, high school students protested at the corner of Ninth and Massachusetts streets Tuesday, saying the local ICE activity made speaking out even more important.
Students held similar walkouts last month, one at Lawrence High and one at Free State. Tuesday’s protest was combined and held downtown, where community members have been protesting every Sunday for months.
The students were joined by community members handing out signs, flyers, buttons and candy.
Gabriella and Mari Baxley are sisters who attend Free State. They come from a family of immigrants and said last week’s ICE activity scared them because it occurred right nearby to many of their family members.
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“It’s not just a matter of politics anymore,” Mari said. “It’s a matter of humanity.”
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The sisters aren’t immigrants themselves but said they were scared of being profiled for the color of their skin.
ICE does not have jurisdiction to arrest U.S. citizens for immigration violations, but ICE detained and held many U.S. citizens anyway in 2025. Federal immigration law is a civil system, not a criminal system.
“It’s very upsetting to see my family be scared to just go outside of their house and do their normal daily duties,” Gabriella said.
Multiple reports of ICE presence spread throughout Lawrence last week. One video showed people wearing ICE tactical vests handcuffing someone at the corner of 25th and Iowa Streets. Sanctuary Alliance, a Lawrence-based collective advocating for immigrant rights, reported sightings at five locations and said that five people had been detained by ICE.
Spokespeople for the Lawrence Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that neither agency was involved in the ICE activity, nor did they know it was coming.
Jax, an LHS student who asked to only be referred to by a nickname, said the protest was to show that students would not tolerate violence or hatred in their community.
“These people are here to stand up for their community,” Jax said. “It’s heartbreaking that people have so much hatred in their hearts to come out here and take people from their homes and off the streets. We will keep coming out here as long as it takes.”
Emmet Roenfeldt, a Free State junior, said the ICE activity in Lawrence was scary and meant Tuesday’s protest felt more emotional.
“It’s what needs to happen,” he said. “Everything happening with the government right now isn’t right.”
Jack Krebs, a former high school teacher, said too often people blame schools for student activism. But he argued it is because students have more access to the internet and are learning how to think for themselves.
“I really think we need to give them credit for thinking for themselves and feeling this way for themselves and not blaming the schools,” he said. “They don’t get indoctrinated in their history classes.”
Post updated at 5:42 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 to add video
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Know your rights
If you’re stopped by police:
• Rather than be confrontational during an interaction with police, it’s better to exercise your right to remain silent.
• If an officer asks you for identifying information, confirm that you are being required to provide that information.
• You do not have to consent to a search. Clarify whether you are able to refuse a search. If an officer believes your car contains evidence, your car can be searched without your consent.
More: ACLU of Kansas — Know Your Rights when Stopped by Police in Kansas
If you’re confronted by ICE:
• Stay calm. If you have lawful immigration status, show your documentation. If you’re undocumented, don’t provide false documents, and don’t discuss your immigration status with police, ICE or other officials.
• If an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official comes to your door, don’t open your door. Officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your home. ICE “warrants” do not grant authority to enter a home without consent of the occupant.
More: National Immigrant Justice Center — Know Your Rights: What to do if You or a Loved One is Detained; If You Encounter ICE
If someone you know is arrested in Douglas County:
• You can check the jail’s booking log at this link to confirm and see if a bond amount has been set.
• If bond is set in the case, you can pay it online via this link.
• The Douglas County Community Bail Fund might be able to help with limited assistance for misdemeanor bails. Call 785-764-3684 or email DGCOBailFund@gmail.com.
Cuyler Dunn (he/him), a contributor to The Lawrence Times since April 2022, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate of Lawrence High School where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, and was named the 2022 Kansas High School Journalist of the Year. Read his complete bio here. Read more of his work for the Times here.
Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a senior at Free State High School. He is also a news photo editor for Free State’s student publication, where he works as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
Related coverage:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
via Sanctuary Alliance
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