Brevard High School Students Protest ICE Operations at School Board Meeting

Dozens of high school students gathered outside the Brevard County School Board offices in Cocoa on Thursday, holding signs that read 'ICE Out of Our Schools' and 'Education Not Deportation.' The protest followed a recent increase in ICE activity at local schools, according to student organizers. 'We’re here because our school board hasn’t addressed this issue,' said 16-year-old Sofia Mendez, a junior at Westmont High School. 'Students are scared. We need safety guarantees.'

The demonstration came days after a federal judge ruled that ICE must stop using school buildings for immigration enforcement without prior notice. Brevard County schools have since implemented new protocols, but student leaders argue the measures are insufficient. 'They say they’re working on policies, but we’ve seen no changes,' said Javier Lopez, 17, a senior at Satellite High School. 'We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for basic rights.'

School Board Chairwoman Karen Dwyer said the board is 'actively reviewing federal guidelines' but declined to comment on specific policy changes. 'Our priority is student safety and compliance with the law,' she said in a statement. The board has not held a public meeting on immigration enforcement since 2021, according to meeting records.

The protest drew support from local educators and community leaders. 'These students are voicing concerns that have been ignored for years,' said Maria Gonzalez, a parent and volunteer at Cocoa High School. 'ICE operations in schools are a crisis that needs immediate action.'

Organizers plan to submit a formal petition to the school board this week, demanding stricter limits on ICE access to school grounds and mandatory training for staff on immigration-related issues. The demonstration marked the largest student-led protest on the topic in Brevard County in over a decade, according to local advocacy groups.