Students from multiple Clovis schools walked out of campus during the instructional day on Tuesday to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting a coordinated response from the Clovis Police Department and the Clovis Unified School District, officials said.

Police and school officials said they were aware of the planned activity in advance and worked together to ensure student and community safety. The Clovis Police Department monitored the walkout in real time through its Real Time Information Center, using a network of about 500 cameras, and recorded the event with a Camera-On-Wheels vehicle, the department said in a statement. Uniformed officers were also on patrol as students traveled and protested through city streets.

Police Said Adults Seen Organizing, Encouraging

During the protest, police said multiple adults were observed encouraging, organizing, and facilitating students leaving school without authorization.

Authorities said those actions are unacceptable and place minors at risk while interfering with their education.

Police have identified two adults and are working to identify others, with plans to file misdemeanor charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Under California Education Code Section 48205(a)(B), a middle or high school student may be excused from school for one day per school year for civic engagement only if proper advance notice is provided and normal checkout procedures are followed by parents or guardians, the department noted. Officials said very few students followed that process.

The school district is identifying students who left campus without authorization and taking appropriate action for truancy enforcement, officials said.

Police and school officials said they respect the constitutional right to lawful protest and the expression of personal beliefs, but warned that encouraging students to leave school during instructional hours violates the law, disrupts education and can jeopardize student safety.

“Our shared priority remains clear: the safety, education, and well-being of our students come first,” officials said, adding that adults who fail to act responsibly and within the law will be held accountable.

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