Student-Led ICE Protest Set for Presidents Day in Austin

Students walk along University Boulevard as they walk out of Round Rock Early College High School in a student-organized protest opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the country Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

A student-led protest opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol is planned for Presidents Day in Austin, part of what organizers describe online as a coordinated statewide day of action.

The Austin rally is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, starting at Austin City Hall with plans to march to the gates of the Texas State Capitol, according to posts circulating on social media.

The event follows a series of walk outs by students in school districts across central Texas in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Boarder Patrol. Organizers are also challenging students in other cities and states to mobilize on the same day.

Organizers are emphasizing the event is meant to be peaceful, with posts noting that adults and Austin Police Department will be there to monitor the protest. “Don’t prove them right by fighting,” one post reads, urging students not to act as “aggressors.”

They also frame the demonstration as a message from “the next generation,” and reference Greg Abbott as someone students want to show they’re “serious.”

Crockett High School students participate in a walkout 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.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Is Presidents Day a school holiday?

Presidents Day — officially designated as Washington’s Birthday — is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday in February. In 2026, it falls on Monday, Feb. 16.

Texas also lists Presidents’ Day on its holiday and recognition calendar.

Whether students have the day off depends on the district. Several Central Texas districts referenced in organizing posts list Feb. 16 as a student holiday, but families are advised to check their district calendars.

What are organizers asking students to do

In the posts, organizers encourage participants to:

• Bring water, snacks and masks, and consider a small bag
• Make signs “big, bold and colorful” so they’re visible
• Avoid throwing anything at police cars or officers
• Bring no weapons or drugs

Hutto High School student Aedan Meinert, 16, protests U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Hutto City Hall on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Hundreds of high school and middle school students walked out of classes and marched to Hutto City Hall.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

Austin protest time and location

Organizers listed the following details:

• Time: 1 p.m.
• Start: Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St.
• Route: Marching to the Capitol gates

The posts describe it as a statewide, district-linked protest, and invite students across Central Texas — including Austin Independent School District and Pflugerville Independent School District — along with “anyone else wanting to join.”

Hutto ninth-grade students Camille Stalder, 14, left, and Peyton Williamson, 15, protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Hutto City Hall on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Hundreds of high school and middle school students walked out of classes and marched to Hutto City Hall.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

A long list of districts and schools is also mentioned in the posts, including but not limited to: Hays CISD, Leander ISD, Georgetown ISD, Dripping Springs ISD, Bastrop ISD, Del Valle ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Lago Vista ISD, Lockhart ISD, Wimberley ISD, San Marcos CISD, Harmony Public Schools and IDEA Public Schools, among others., Bastrop ISD, Harmony Public Schools and Idea Public Schools.

Austin ISD, state leaders clash over earlier walkouts

The planned rally comes amid tension between Austin ISD and state officials over prior student walkouts.

In a Feb. 6 letter, AISD rejected allegations from the Office of the Texas Attorney General that staff helped students leave class.

Hutto High School student Andrew Moore, 17, protests U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Hutto City Hall on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Hundreds of high school and middle school students walked out of classes and marched to Hutto City Hall.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

The district said students who walked out were given unexcused absences but argued campuses cannot use force to keep students in class. AISD said staff and district officers were present for safety — not to endorse demonstrations — and cited updated guidance limiting staff monitoring to within roughly 300 feet of campuses.

The Texas Education Agency has confirmed it is investigating complaints tied to walkouts in Austin and other districts after Gov. Greg Abbott urged the agency to intervene.

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