Belen Middle School students protest ICE

BELEN — “No ICE in Belen!”

That was the message shouted loud and clear by about 20 Belen Middle School students as they stood on the southeast corner of Reinken Avenue and Main Street in Belen last week.

The group joined hundreds of anti-ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — protests held nationwide Friday, Jan. 30.

The students who left the BMS campus during class time knew they would face discipline when they returned to campus this week, but many described the consequences as, “worth it.”

“We’ve all seen it. We know what they do,” said Amelia Davis, 12. “There are bigger things in life than maybe getting suspended.”

Belen Consolidated Schools Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez said because the students “ditched” class, they will face discipline. There is flexibility in the district’s policy, he said, with repercussions ranging from lunch detention to out-of-school suspension.

“It’s at the discretion of the principal,” Sanchez said. “I did have a community member ask why the district ‘allowed’ the students to protest. It’s not something we allowed; they ditched school.”

At least one parent, Lizabeth Santana, who was at the protest with the students, said she checked her son out of school and brought him to the protest location.

Mateo Diaz, 14, said the students were protesting ICE “deporting and tearing up families. We’re here to speak up for those who are afraid.”

When asked if they personally knew students who no longer came to school due to fear of deportation, most of the students said they did. Some of them mentioned they have relatives who they say are U.S. citizens who have recently been deported.

Lydia Alfaro, Diaz’ mother, is a U.S. resident alien, coming to the states from Mexico when she was 17. She’s now 44, married to a U.S. citizen, mother of three sons and a business owner, selling colorfully embroidered clothing.

Alfaro’s oldest son is a U.S. Marine, stationed in Japan and her middle child plans to join the U.S. Air Force after he graduates from high school.

“I’ve lived here longer than in Mexico,” Alfaro said. “I love this country. I have a business and pay my taxes. Mexico will always have a place in my heart. I go visit, but this is home.”

One student described ICE’s actions as “offensive. They are taking away families because they have a different skin color.”

“We’re all the same. It’s not right,” added another. “We should all be treated the same.”

As she watched the students waving their signs on the street corner, Angelica Mirabal said she is proud of her daughter and the BMS students for standing up for what they believe in.

“One day they will look back and this will be something to really remember,” Mirabal said. “Everyone has the right to express how they feel.”

During the councilor comments portion of Monday’s Belen City Council meeting, Councilor Rudy Espinoza said he was concerned about the protest on Friday, and said the city has to look to rewrite its ordinances.

“We really need to go over some ordinances,” Espinoza said. “I think we need to have more workshops to deal with these things. They’re outdated.

“There were young kids who left the middle school, and there was a disruption there,” he added. “Then they walked over to the corner. Of course they have the right to protest. I don’t know how much adult supervision they had, but they were 12, 13 years old, and they were disrupting traffic.”

Espinoza said he didn’t know if the adults that were there were properly supervising the students.

“I think we need to hold people accountable to ensure the safety of these young individuals,” the councilor said. “They were crossing the street, they were on the median. I was fearful. We need to do something before someone gets hurt. We have a responsibility.”

Belen Interim Police Chief Adam Keck said two officers were at the protest that day, one parked in the empty lot and another parked across the street.

“We did it for the safety of the children,” Keck said after Monday’s meeting.

The students received lots of thumbs up, nods and honking of horns in support going through the busy intersection last week, but one man riding in a pick-up did flip off the group as he passed.