I almost didn’t write this — not because it isn’t important, but because I can’t believe I still have to say it.
You cannot be illegal on stolen land. You cannot strip someone of their humanity because it’s politically convenient. Yet here we are again, watching families be torn apart, watching people disappear into detention centers, watching children learn the language of fear before they learn how to vote.
The United States calls itself the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” We are taught these words at a young age, taught about the constitutional guarantees of freedom and justice, and citizens are taught to believe these ideals are foundational. But freedom in this country has always been conditional. It exists until it challenges power. Until it demands accountability. Until it asks the government to see immigrants not as talking points, but as people.
That’s why political beliefs aren’t just “opinions” anymore. They’re moral lines. Supporting policies that harm immigrants is not a neutral stance. It’s a position that directly impacts real lives, including the lives of people you know, whether you realize it or not.
What’s most alarming isn’t just the cruelty of these systems. It’s the silence surrounding them. The apathy. The way outrage only seems to appear when injustice becomes personal. If you aren’t angry yet, that doesn’t mean that nothing is wrong. It means you’re not paying attention.
And the people paying the closest attention right now? Teenagers.
They’re showing up.
Recently, a senior at my younger sister’s high school organized a walkout protesting immigration enforcement policies and the continued presence of ICE. The protest took place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at Akins High School in Austin, TX. More than 250 people participated, including students, teachers, and administrators.
It took courage to organize. It took a risk to attend. And it took conviction to stand outside during the school day, knowing there could be consequences. Yet, the most coverage I saw about their protest was in the Akins High School Newspaper. “Our message definitely is to let the younger generation know that they have a voice and they have the ability to be able to speak,” said senior Adeleah Cardenas, one of the lead organizers.
The response from the media was almost nonexistent. Despite the scale of the protest and the number of participants, coverage amounted to roughly 10 minutes, if that. Meanwhile, similar demonstrations calling for immigration reform and the abolition of ICE are happening across the U.S. and globally, often with little sustained attention. It’s all about freedom of speech until the speech isn’t what people want to hear.
Silence like this isn’t accidental. It’s a pattern.
Not their fight
When my sister, a 16-year-old girl, called to tell me she was participating in the walkout, my first reaction wasn’t pride, as much as I wished it could be. It was fear. Fear for her safety. Fear for my cousin’s safety. Fear for the safety of every student there.
We’ve all seen how protestors are treated. We’ve seen how dissent is policed. We’ve seen peaceful demonstrations met with riot gear, tear gas fired into crowds, and people shoved and detained for refusing to disperse. We’ve watched people being dragged away at rallies meant to defend families from raids and deportation. We’ve watched innocent people be murdered in broad daylight. This isn’t speculation; it’s documented, recorded, and repeated. Pretending otherwise is a choice.
I feel two things at once. I am deeply proud of my sister for standing up for what she believes in. But I am also furious that she has to. Furious that she’s fighting the same battles our grandparents fought. Furious that teenagers are doing the work that adults with power, protection, and platforms continue to avoid.
When young people are louder than those in charge, that isn’t hope. It’s a failure.
So if you take anything from my words, let it be this: silence is not neutrality. If you don’t speak now, you will be silenced later. Teens are showing us what resistance looks like. The question is whether the rest of you will stand with them before it’s too late.