From Protest Walkouts to Turning Point Launch, Students Get Engaged Politically

Several hundred students walked out of classes across TC Central and TC West high schools in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies Friday. Meanwhile, a large crowd of both supporters and protestors attended the launch of a new Turning Point USA chapter at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) last week. In both cases, students vigorously defended exercising their First Amendment rights – even as they learned firsthand the complexities that can surround doing so.

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) students walked out of both high schools at 2pm Friday during sixth hour. The protests came on the same day as a larger national strike to protest ICE. TC West students remained on campus, rallying outside, while TC Central students marched to the Civic Center and back. Students advertised the walkouts in advance and invited media coverage. In response, TCAPS sent a letter to families advising them of district protocols.

While recognizing students’ desire to express their views, “the safety and security of our students remains our highest priority,” TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner wrote. He emphasized classes would continue as scheduled, with students who walked out subject to receiving unverified absences or tardies. TCAPS provided staff supervision and coordinated with law enforcement to ensure “a safe environment” during walkouts. The protests generated intense social media debate, including criticism of students for participating and of TCAPS for not more aggressively punishing walkouts.

However, students tell The Ticker that criticism is misplaced. TC Central senior Abigail Houghton notes the event was student-run and “in no way TCAPS-affiliated.” Online comments “suggesting that students are uneducated on political topics are very discouraging and could not be further from the truth,” she says. “The majority of the senior class – and some juniors – will be able to vote in the 2026 midterm elections. The notion that youth voices are not well-informed or important is incredibly insulting to students who have taken the time to read up on these issues and engage in meaningful conversations.”

Despite freezing temperatures, Houghton says students were outside protesting “because we believe in a better future for America.” She and other students criticized immigration crackdowns by ICE in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Arthur Lijewski-Lee, a TC Central senior dual enrolled at NMC, points to the December death of an ICE detainee at a Baldwin detention center and says students “believe our friends and neighbors, regardless of the paperwork they have, the color of their skin, or the accent they speak English with, have a right to live free of terror and intimidation.”

Participating in walkouts communicates to politicians “they’d better have the right policy on ICE and immigration” if they want student votes, Lijewski-Lee says, adding that “civic engagement of any kind is for everyone, especially young people.” Evan Kohler, a sophomore at TC West, echoes those remarks. “I think it is very important to show that we care, show solidarity, and spark change in our community,” he says. “This feeds into the reason we are doing this. We would like to spark change by getting more kids into politics, especially in times like these.”

Encouraging more student political engagement is also a motivating force for Breanna (last name withheld by request), the 19-year-old president of a newly launched Turning Point USA chapter at NMC. The national nonprofit organization, which promotes the spread of conservative values on high school and college campuses, has seen surges in student membership in the wake of founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September.

The NMC Turning Point USA student group held its first meeting last week on campus, inviting the public to attend. That opened the door for dozens of supporters and protestors to show up, with critics labeling the chapter a “hate group” and opposing its presence on campus. Breanna says the launch was “nerve-wracking,” adding she was “surprised at the way that people protested. Because they didn’t come in, they didn’t know what we were about. They just labeled us and decided that we are not welcome on campus.”

Breanna points to the example set by Kirk, who “had patience and had conversations with people, regardless of if they got on the microphone and started shouting stuff at him… it’s saddening to me, when I get hate, because I’m a very fun person. You don’t know me. Come have a conversation.” Politically engaged from a young age, Breanna sees a “big gap between sides” in American politics and hopes the NMC group can offer students a place “to have a conversation and try to reach a mutual understanding.”

Concerns expressed about Turning Point have included Kirk’s criticism of LGBTQ+ rights. NMC student groups are required to ensure their members and actions are “nondiscriminatory,” in addition to registering annually with the college and securing a staff or faculty advisor. NMC VP for Student Services & Technologies Todd Neibauer says discrimination is typically defined through the lens of action – such as groups not allowing certain students to participate – rather than ideology.

That’s because groups have broad leeway under the First Amendment to hold a variety of viewpoints, he notes. While the college can put time and place restrictions on activities – ensuring they don’t interrupt classes, block roads or buildings, or otherwise impact student education and safety – “we can’t engage in what’s called viewpoint discrimination,” Neibauer says. “We don’t endorse the student groups. We simply give them a compliance pathway for having their group, with its rights and responsibilities.”

For her part, Breanna says students of all identities and beliefs are welcome for “respectful” participation in Turning Point. The group will primarily focus on student instead of public meetings going forward, though may occasionally have public speakers or community events, she says. Neibauer says the controversy offers a “learning opportunity” and chance for “meaningful dialogue” among students.

“Our goal is to look for ways, when any student wants to engage on campus, for them to do that,” he says. “In this case it’s political speech, which as we’ve seen can be fraught. But that doesn’t change the necessity of trying to understand another’s viewpoint, even if you don’t agree.”