Skagit Valley College Whidbey Students, Educators Stage Oak Harbor Walkout Protesting ICE

Students and educators from Skagit Valley College’s Whidbey campus staged a walkout in Oak Harbor on Jan. 23, joining nationwide Free America actions to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices. About 20 protesters gathered briefly before wrapping up at 2 p.m., waving to passing cars and carrying signs that condemned ICE detainments and deportations.

Organizers said the Oak Harbor action was coordinated after students at SVC’s Mount Vernon campus planned participation. M.J. Gallegos, who organized the Oak Harbor protest over the weekend, said she made posters to spread the word and extra signs for those who joined. As a Mexican-American and the child of an immigrant, Gallegos described the issue as personal. “We want them to know that they are supported, and we don’t want them out of this country,” she said. “They’re part of what makes America beautiful and diverse and amazing.”

The walkout was part of a larger national wave of demonstrations timed in solidarity with Ice Out of Minnesota’s planned action, and followed a recent, high-profile incident that intensified scrutiny of ICE: an agent shot and killed 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Organizers and participants in Oak Harbor said those events contributed to the urgency behind the local action.

Students Mukai Whiteaker and Kayla Austin were among participants who said the walkout mattered beyond a single protest. Austin said Tuesday was her first protest and that she felt compelled to join in solidarity as a Black woman. “I thought, what better time to make a stand than now? It’s a little nerve-wracking, it’s a little scary, but I’m so glad I’m out here,” she said. “We’ve gotten so much support. A couple haters, but that’s okay.”

ICE did not confirm whether it maintains a presence on Whidbey Island in a statement released after press time, but the agency has been active in Washington state. Last year ICE officials conducted a raid at a Langley laundromat and took a man into custody, an episode that residents cited when describing local fears about enforcement actions.

For Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island residents, the protest underscores a local dimension to national immigration debates. The presence of college students and educators in public demonstrations signals growing campus engagement on immigration enforcement and public safety. The event also puts pressure on local leaders, campus administrators, and law enforcement to clarify protocols for immigrant residents and students and to communicate what protections and resources are available locally.

Expect follow-up in the coming days from Skagit Valley College leadership and local elected officials as the community seeks answers about enforcement activity and campus safety. The walkout reflected a small but visible measure of civic participation on Whidbey Island that could shape campus conversations and county responses in the weeks ahead.