the
SPECTRUM
“Your Voice in Print”
blakespectrum.org
FRIDAY | JANUARY 30 | 2026
ICE vs. Schools
T
he Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Operation Metro Surge” mobilized 3,000 DHS agents in Minnesota, leading to protests, arrests, and two fatal shootings. These events instilled fear in many. Bystander videos have shown ICE using pepper spray and rubber bullets in response to protests. On Jan. 21, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals froze a federal judge’s decision barring ICE from using its current protest tactics, according to the AP. Following Pretti’s death, agents continue to use pepper spray and physical aggression to control largely peaceful protests, according to the New York Times. A Venezuelan immigrant, who requested anonymity due to legal status, stated, “I’ve been treated like a prisoner.” He continued, “A friend is bringing me to
opments, Head of School Anne Stavney stated in a Jan. 25 email to Spectrum, “This is an evolving and horrific situation, and our community is hurting. The Blake leadership team continues to stay informed, seek expertise, and adjust our responses and plans accordingly. Safety and security remain our highest priority, as does showing compassion for and extending support to students and families.” In terms of school safety, ICE contact protocol depends on location, according to Head of Security Gene Paulauskas. Paulauskas said security training for private property contact is to “Contact me and let me know of the situation. Be polite and inform the agents that we are not allowing access to the school.” If the contact is off private property, like the student parking lot, Paulauskas said the procedure is to “Avoid insert[ing] your-
Action Caitlin Strauss
Hundreds of students make their way up the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge after students surrounded the Okciyapi sculpture and gave testimonies. The walkout occured on Jan. 20 at 2:00 p.m. and protested the recent increase in ICE violence in Minneapolis.
Protests continue against ICE surge Izzie Miller | Managing Editor ollowing the shooting of 37-year-old Renée Good committed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, hundreds of students walked out in protest on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Led by Charlotte Hackett ‘26, Klarissa Yu ‘26, and Maddie Raih ‘26 along with parent observers, the large body of students walked out at 2:00 p.m. and made their way over to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. There, they surrounded the sculpture Okciyapi (Help Each Other in Dakota), created by artist Angela Two Stars, a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. Once gathered around the sculpture, student organizers shared reasons for the walkout as well as personal stories and connections to the violence that continues to plague Minneapolis. Yu, a main organizer of the protest, described, “Two weeks ago going to my own protest
F Leo Mithun
A public memorial in remembrance of Renée Good is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People from all over the state and country have come to pay their respects to Good.
work. We’re not even going close to the window because we’re just scared.” If forced to return to Venezuela, he said, “I would fear for my life.” Pedro Silva ‘29, a son of two Latino immigrants, said, “I feel like I have to walk around with papers.” A respondent to Spectrum’s Jan. 16 poll with 169 respondents said, “The school has done nothing to make us feel like we’re going to be safe.” Another respondent contested, “Comply, and you’re fine.” NPR reported that Donald Trump removed a memorandum on Jan. 20, 2025, allowing ICE to conduct operations near schools. On Jan. 21, two teenagers were detained by ICE in Minneapolis, according to MPR.
self into a position where you are obstructing a police action.” Paulauskas said the burden falls upon the student: “They have to be mature enough to know that they should not actively step in the way.” Avoiding obstruction is the school’s position for both staff and students. Only 25% of the January Poll’s 169 respondents feel properly prepared for an ICE interaction. Paulauskas noted, “The presence of law enforcement in the area will not warrant a lockdown protocol in the school.” If ICE were present near campus, Upper School Lead Security Officer, Rio Hanson, stated she would call a lockdown drill: “I would feel better calling it than not calling it and regretting it.”
The Blake School
Students Take
the teenagers’ arrests, Admin com- After CBS reported on Jan. 22 5-year-old Liam Conejo ments on ICE that Ramos was detained as he returned from school. presence Following these develBen Aviles | Co-Editor-in-Chief
ISSUE VI
out of Minneapolis…really showed me how important it is for the community to stand together.” She continued, “going to that protest made me really rethink how much of an impact we as a small school can make,” prompting her to get together with other students and parents to plan the protest. One student protester, Aryanna Rossi ‘26, shared her story using one of the megaphones. “I come from a family of immigrants, and half of them are brown, so I am very scared for my family,” she said to the crowd, “This is deeply personal to me because most of them have accents and it’s just very scary.” Rossi, who works at a Mexican restaurant, noted, “Some of the people I work with that I’m friends with just haven’t showed up.” She continued, “I don’t know what happened to them.” Following the gathering, the group walked up to the Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, which crosses over Interstate 94. Upon reaching the top, they stopped and held up their signs, shouting anti-ICE chants. Cars in support honked, and those passing by cheered along. Parents in yellow vests were also involved
with the protest, providing extra gloves, handwarmers, and other winter necessities to ensure students had what they needed to stay warm and safe. Molly, a parent supporter who observed the walkout, stated, “I heard from student leaders that they wanted to plan a walkout, and I wanted to make sure that students were able to do that in the most community-supported way.” She said, “[I] connected with some other parents and we formed a group,” aiming to back students’ rights to free speech and be “eyes on the ground security.” Another parent, Kelly Basgen, noted that the walkout was “a way that students can show what they believe in to others,” describing it as “walking the talk.” Along with other faculty, Upper School Assistant Director Sarah Warren watched students as they left school grounds. She commented, “I appreciate students taking own-
ership of something that matters to them.” One year into President Donald Trump’s second term has brought numerous changes to the structure and operations of federal law enforcement. To impose his promised crackdown on immigration in the US, President Trump has increased the size and operations of ICE. Escalation of the federal agency’s presence has brought on immense backlash and opposition, especially in Minneapolis. With two deaths and numerous detentions, many are choosing to respond with peaceful protests and observations of ICE actions. However, these nonviolent events have not been proven to result in pleasant interactions between protesters and the federal agency. The casualties agents representing ICE have caused continue to elicit both student and community protests and walkouts.
Ben Aviles
Leo Mithun ‘28 holds a sign during the Jan. 20 walkout. Other students pictured face student leaders as they spoke out against ICE in Minneapolis.