Hispanic students from the Denison area walked out of the classroom Tuesday to protest immigration laws and to call for immigration reform. Jacque Quelas spoke for the group and says they decided to get involved without concern about the punishment for their actions.
Quelas says some of them got permission from their parents, while some of them didn’t. She says they will get punished by the school, “but we all agreed it’s was worth it. We know this is right and we’re willing to suffer the consequences for it.”
Quelas says the group started out small, but gained strength as it move through the community. She says they went to the high school, “but that didn’t work out,” so she says they kept going and gained support from people. At one time the group included more than 125 people, mostly elementary and middle school students.
Quelas says they have a message they want to get across. She says, “We’re trying to show people that we do deserve to be here. That we’re not just here to take their money, we’re here to work and earn it.” Monday a number of Denison students wore white shirts to school as part of the national protest.