Photos: Austin businesses close, students walk out in anti-ICE protest

Hundreds of Austin-area students participated in a coordinated walkout on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, as part of a nationwide protest against the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At Crockett High School, students walked out of class to join similar demonstrations held at multiple campuses across the city, highlighting growing youth-led activism around immigration enforcement.

Local businesses also joined the movement. Flitch Coffee, an Austin-based coffee shop, closed early and offered free coffee to customers in solidarity with the nationwide protest. The demonstrations reflected a broader wave of coordinated action across the country, drawing participation from students, educators, and community members.

These photos capture moments from the student walkouts and community response in Austin, documenting how local voices joined a national conversation on immigration policy and enforcement.

Crockett High School student Alexandra Fulbright, 15, walks out of school in Austin on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, as part of a nationwide protest of the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hundreds of students participated in the walkout, which was among similar student demonstrations held at other Austin-area schools.