Students from Wadsworth High School and Middle School started a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, following a previous solo-pro-ICE protest that lasted throughout the week. The anti-protest ICE was planned to start at 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 and run through 6 p.m. in Downtown Wadsworth during First Friday. It started with one high school student then quickly spread through texts and word of mouth to other students.

“[We are trying to] show support for other people and for the people that are being deported… because not a lot of people in Wadsworth like to speak up,” said Madaline George, a junior at WHS. “So I feel if you show people that we are not afraid to speak up, other people will as well.”

ICE is a division of the Department of Homeland Security. The department has been around since 2003 and was created to protect the US borders and manage the circulation of people and products. According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE has deported around 675,000 people out of the US and had around 30 detainees die in custody in 2025. Mass protests of ICE have recently been taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where ICE officials have killed two US citizens who were protesting.

“I think it is important to band together in times like this to show our elected officials that we are not okay with the actions of our government and to be united and speak as one person,” said Aaron Casey, a senior at WHS.

Along with students, several older Wadsworth residents attended the protest to support them. Both showed up with signs like “Abolish ICE, Resist,” “Support Them, Not Deport Them,” and “I like my ICE crushed.”

“I support what President Trump said when he said they need to start taking a lighter or softer approach when dealing with the immigrants,” said James Bichl, a Wadsworth resident. “I also agree with what Governor DeWine said when talking about how immigrants support our neighboring community and financially as well.”

There were supportive honks from cars, along with some who shouted or displayed disagreement from their cars. Only a few provocative words were shared between the protesters and dissenters.

“I have had people come out and give me hot chocolate and food and just a lot of people come around to support me,” said Zachary Burton, a senior at Wadsworth High School. “I have had a lot of people come out here and yell, you know, they like slurring from their own car instead of coming up and talking like civilized people.”

Burton had been protesting since Tuesday, and asked his friends if they wanted to join him.