INDIANAPOLIS — High school students across the Hoosier state are sending a message loud and clear, protesting ICE's involvement in Minnesota and the immigration crackdown. Many students have staged walkouts this week.
"The majority of her school will be eligible to vote in the 2028 election, and I think that's what makes a lot of people nervous," mother Jade Duguay said.
Duguay's daughter, Audrey Lefever, attends Franklin Central High School, one of many high schools where students are preparing walkouts to protest ICE policies.
"She's been to protests with me before, you know, she's been to political rallies," Duguay said.
So, when her daughter and friends started discussing ways to let their voices be heard, she said it made her proud.
"This wasn't, you know, 'Oh let's get out of school.' These kids are really concerned about their peers. They're very interested in their constitutional rights, being prepared for their future as voting adults," Duguay added.
When WRTV met with the teens, they all shared their frustrations.
"People are having due process taken away from them, and it's just really wrong. And we need to show this administration that young people are fed up with it," Travis Glover, a student at Franklin Central High School, said.
"We just want to show that this is also affecting the youth of America, like we are the next generation," Audrey Lefevers, a student at Franklin Central High School, said.
But for students like Jenna Miller, it hits close to home.
"Makes me scared, and it's just like if I have my dad's last name, but my mom's last name is Spanish, so it's like if I had had my mom's last name, could I be in the same situation as these people?" Miller said.
"If your classmate is not coming to class, if your best friend isn't coming to class, you're really going to notice that," said Dr. Greg Shufeldt, a political science professor at the University of Indianapolis. "High school students in particular can personalize and can personally feel this issue. In ways that others might not be able to."
Although we are seeing political engagement spike amongst young Hoosiers, Dr. Shufeldt says young people aren't showing up at the ballot box.
"Younger Hoosiers are very dissatisfied with our politics; are turned off from voting. They don't see the point. They, perhaps, don't feel represented by the candidates and the parties," Shufeldt said.
Does Dr. Shufeldt feel this newfound interest from the younger generation will be enough to boost voter turnout?
"It's going to take generational change in Indiana to increase our voter turnout to move us from the bottom of the barrel,” said Shufeldt. "It's going to need some of these extremely bright, impressive high school students to choose to stay in Indiana. And to continue to fight for these sorts of things that they believe in, and not maybe the brain drain of leaving Indiana, and going for perhaps greener pastures where their views are in the majority, right? We need some of that fight in Indiana to stay."
As for the disciplinary measures some schools are implementing, Dr. Shufeldt said that forms of political expression and behavior sometimes could have consequences, but that should not discourage young people.
"I think to some extent we need to communicate to students that facing negative consequences might serve the greater good in some ways. I think we also want to help students identify that political protest and expressive forms of political activity are just one tool in the toolbox, right? And so now that you've gained people's attention, now that you have done some public education, what comes next, right? Like, can you translate this into town hall meetings? Can you translate this into contacting your elected official, registering to vote, forming organizations that kind of keep this fight going?" Shufeldt said.
