Gallatin High Students Protest ICE Raids Amid Sharp Community Divide

On a tense Friday at Gallatin High School, students took a stand against the Trump administration's ICE raids, organizing a walkout that brought a sharp spotlight to the community's deep political divide.

About 50 students gathered outside the school, holding signs with messages like “Education not deportation” and “I like my ICE crushed.” Senior Brodey Beehler, whose grandmother is from Tijuana, called ICE an “illegal organization deporting people for no reason.” Beehler also reflected on the international embarrassment felt after Trump’s 2024 election win, recalling being mocked during a year abroad in Spain.

The walkout was spearheaded by senior Charlotte Haslam as part of her school project and a bid to rally peers. Haslam acknowledged the school’s conservative leanings but stressed the importance of using one’s voice to fight back. “Even if it’s insignificant, you still can,” she said.

Opposing the protest was a smaller, roughly 15-strong group of boys whose signs ignored immigration entirely. Instead, they chanted “Free Paul George,” referencing the NBA star’s drug suspension, before dispersing. Later, two cars carrying teens who claimed to be “just spectators” drove by slowly, one flying a large Trump flag. Police stopped one vehicle but declined to disclose details.

Student Arcadian Ollom-Tighe noted the opposition was “not a surprise” given the school’s conservative reputation. As the march reached nearby Diamond Park, Haslam urged attendees to push for redirecting tax dollars from ICE to healthcare, education, and support for the working class. She warned that without activism, America risks becoming a “freedomless, dystopian land.”

Back on campus, a group of freshmen girls discussed the backlash, describing it as mostly mockery and spite. “They think it’s funny to video us,” said Grey Collins, “but I don’t care because I’m standing up for something I care about.” Irelyn Allen added, “It’s not weird to care about other people.”

School Superintendent Casey Bertram affirmed students’ First Amendment rights but reminded that absences without parental excuse are unexcused. For Haslam, the walkout’s impact outweighed attendance concerns. “I’ll ask my mom tonight,” she said.

This protest highlights the growing grassroots resistance to ICE’s aggressive tactics and the Trump administration’s assault on immigrant communities, even in conservative strongholds. It’s a stark reminder that the fight over America’s soul is playing out not just in Washington but in high school lawns across the country.