West ICE protest denied by school district

Following a walkout to protest ICE at East High School on Feb. 6, students at West wanted to do something similar.

But junior Kathy Vo said that was denied because West’s location next to Jefferson Hospital Cherry Hill leaves little school property away from main roads. When asked if the West administration issued that decision, district spokesperson Nina Baratti said in an email that, generally speaking, students have the right to protest.

“When students express that they would like to hold a demonstration, there are criteria that administrators go through with the students,” she explained. “Students are aware that there may be disciplinary consequences related to attendance (such as being marked absent) if they choose to participate in a demonstration that removes them from class.

“District policy protects the rights of our students to engage in peaceful demonstrations that do not disrupt instruction or orderly operations of the schools,” Baratti added. “While administration does not encourage students to leave the building during the school day, we respect our students’ right to demonstrate if they choose to.”

The district would not comment further on its decision to deny a West protest. Meanwhile, instead of that action, Vo and other West students penned a letter that Vo presented at a township council meeting.

“The United States is often described as a nation founded on liberty and justice for all,” she read. “Yet for many families today, that promise feels increasingly hollow. Rights are being ignored, families are being separated, and fear has become a daily reality for people whose only ‘crime’ is their identity or place of origin.

“We ask you to consider: How can a society claim to value freedom when so many do not feel safe, heard or protected?”

The letter was co-written by ninth-graders Massimo Delli Carpini and Xia Rogers; 10th-grader Lucy Allen; 11th-graders Yasin Gordon, Emily James and India Young; and 12th-graders Nehemiah Gilbert, Nhi Nguyen and Lily Haines.

During council meeting comments, a number of members had something to say about the students’ letter. Mayor David Fleisher opined that ICE should operate with the same professionalism and accountability as the township police department.

“Clearly, (it’s an) issue that we’re facing as a nation,” he remarked to West students at the meeting. “Thank you for being so articulate and having the courage to share your concerns. We are blessed here in Cherry Hill to have a police department that operates with the highest level of professionalism and respect and accountability. And I think most Americans would agree that we’d expect ICE and the federal government to operate at those same high standards.”

Council member Jill Hulnick’s statement thanked Vo for “giving a voice to the voiceless and for being brave enough to come and represent your school.” Fellow member Jennifer Apell encouraged young people to vote and pointed to resources offered by the state and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

“Regarding ICE, there’s information, and I’m sure you’re aware and I hope that people are advertising this,” Apell advised. “There’s information on the state website; the ACLU has information about ICE. There’s a portal at the state – NJOAG.gov/portal – where people can upload videos and report where there’s been ICE activity.

“So the state is really doing a lot to make people aware and other organizations are doing a lot so that people can know what they’re rights are, because that’s very important.”

Council member Sangeeta Doshi noted that everyone is an immigrant.

“The student from Cherry Hill West, I just wanted to say it’s a really tough topic,” Doshi said of Vo. “I would say unless you’re Native American, we’re all immigrants. Everybody’s family was a stranger here at some time and was looking for help. So thank you for speaking up on that topic.”

The students’ letter also addressed the contributions of immigrants and condemned ICE actions that included the Jan. 20 detentions in Minnesota of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos – whose photo in a blue bunny hat got attention around the country – and his father Adrian, an immigrant from Ecuador. They were released on Feb. 1 from an ICE facility in Texas.

The Instagram account associated with West’s proposed anti-ICE action by students has an image of Liam’s bunny hat.

During public comments, Sara Joslin thanked Vo for bringing ICE issues before council and cited state actions by the agency that include a proposed detention center in Roxbury Towship, Morris County.

“I think we look around and say, ‘What if it was my family, what if it was our situation?'” Joslin explained. “And there is some indication, at least in the press, that there is an intended (ICE detention facility) ramp-up in the Northeast, and I think we should all be very concerned …”

The proposed facility would house up to 1,500 detainees and is opposed by New Jersey’s U.S. senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker and Congressman Donald Norcross. Vo’s letter was also mentioned at the March 10 board of education meeting by public speakers and former board member Anne Einhorn.

“You should be very proud of the students that spoke,” Einhorn suggested to the board. “They’re quite elegant, particularly the representative from West (Vo). I was very impressed with what she had to say. Very articulate, calm and respectful manner, but with real reason to speak to town council.”

At the council meeting, Vo urged members to stand up for the community.

“We ask you to stand with the people you represent,” she said, “to speak out against harmful enforcement practices and to advocate for policies that protect families, uphold civil liberties and reflect the values of fairness and humanity.

“Love must outweigh fear, and justice must outweigh power.”