WEATHER ALERTLocal NewsAbout a dozen students held a press conference ThursdaySAN ANTONIO – East Central High School suspended roughly 30 students after they walked out of class in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Bexar County. The students left school without permission and walked down the street.According to students, school staff yelled at them to return to class, but the students did not. The students told KSAT they were expressing their First Amendment right to protest.About a dozen students held a press conference Thursday in response to 30 students being suspended.“Across San Antonio, there’s been over 40 walkouts happening and there have been you know, no extreme pushback like this before,” Claire, a student with San Antonio Students for Peace, said.Claire does not attend an East Central Independent School District school but planned the press conference alongside the organization Dare to Struggle.“We just want to tell people and show people that we care,” Claire said. “We care about East Central, we care about these students, and we want them to feel heard.”East Central ISD told KSAT the protest on Feb. 13 lasted five hours and that the district documented the following behaviors:Leaving assigned areas and exiting campus without authorizationRefusing to return to campus when directed by administratorsRefusing to identify themselves so parents could be contactedLoudly shouting profanities that disrupted classrooms and instructionDirecting profanity toward administrators and law enforcement officers working to keep students safe near a busy roadway Engaging in unsafe actions near traffic (Highway 87)Making obscene gestures toward a passing special needs busEntering a vehicle driven by a non-parent or guardian without permission“Students received a combination of In-School Suspension and Out-of-School Suspension based on their individual conduct,” the district wrote. “Students were not disciplined for their message, beliefs, or viewpoints related to immigration or any political issue.”Read also:Copyright 2026 by KSAT - All rights reserved.About the AuthorsZaria Oates headshotZaria OatesZaria Oates is a news reporter for KSAT 12. She joined in June 2024 from Memphis, where she worked at ABC24. Oates graduated from Clemens High School in Schertz and earned a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She's passionate about learning, traveling and storytelling.Ricardo Moreno headshotRicardo MorenoRicardo Moreno Jr. is a photojournalist at KSAT. Ricardo, a San Antonio native, isn't just a journalist, he's also a screenwriter and filmmaker, bringing a unique perspective to the news. When Ricardo isn't reporting, you might find him working on his fitness or spending time with his family and his Chow Chow.