Pomona, CA — On Friday morning, January 30, 2026, students from Pomona High School, Garey High School, The School of Arts and Enterprise, and Village Academy all gathered at the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Garey Avenue to protest federal immigration enforcement and recent deaths in ICE custody. The demonstration took place alongside similar actions occurring across the country, including in Los Angeles and New York City.

A large group of students moved through the intersection carrying handmade signs, forming a loud and visible protest against Immigration enforcement. School leadership were present alongside the students as the demonstration continued through the area.

The protest coincided with a nationally circulated call for a “no work, no school, no shopping” day of action, promoted online in response to deaths reported in ICE detention facilities earlier this month. While there was no visible central organizer or formal program in Pomona, the messaging echoed themes seen in protests elsewhere: opposition to ICE’s role in immigration enforcement and anger over deaths occurring while individuals were in federal custody.

Students carried signs criticizing ICE directly, mixing humor and frustration. Several participants waved Mexican, American, Puerto Rican Flags. An altered American flag appeared among the crowd, its imagery repurposed to question traditional expressions of patriotism.

Students chanted “Who’s streets, our streets” as they moved through the intersection. The group crossed Mission Boulevard together while adults supervised and guided students. Traffic slowed and stopped, with some motorists honking in solidarity while others supported as they watched quietly and raised a fist from their out the windows of their vehicles.

The demonstration remained peaceful throughout. No police presence, and there were no visible confrontations.

Pomona has long been shaped by immigration policy in ways that are felt directly by families, schools, and neighborhoods. For many of the students present, the issue was not abstract or ideological but rooted in personal and family experience. The absence of formal structure gave the protest an organic quality, less a rally than a collective decision to be seen.

A review of public district communications did not show any official statements from Pomona Unified School District or individual high schools regarding the student gathering as of publication. While school districts and city officials had not issued public statements, the gathering reflects a broader pattern of youth political activity taking place nationwide in early 2026. The students who gathered in Pomona placed themselves visibly within that national moment.

Julian Lucas is a darkroom photographer, writer, and a bookseller, though photography remains his primary language. He is the founder of Mirrored Society Book Shop, publisher of The Pomonan, and creator of Book-Store and Print Pomona Art Book Fair. And yes he will charge you 2.5 Million for event photography.