FERNDALE, Wash. — Several dozen Ferndale School District students left classes on the morning of Friday, January 30, 2026, reportedly in part of a nationally organize ICE protest. The students reportedly walked along sidewalks to a gathering point on the Main Street Centennial Bridge.
The following are details provided by the Ferndale Police Department in response to questions from Whatcom News about the protest.
The Ferndale Police Department monitors these events for safety and security purposes and become more directly involved if the department receives reports of criminal activity. The Police Department was aware of the event from national level and coordinated with school officials regarding this specific event as we became more aware.
While much of the protest appeared controlled and safe, officers began getting reports of water bottles and eggs being thrown at vehicles passing by. Officers conducted efforts to prevent these actions by announcing on a PA not to throw items at passing cars.
Advertisement
Click for more informationAdvertisement
Click for more informationAt one point, a vehicle stopped in the middle of the bridge, stopping the flow of traffic. While officers were speaking with the individual, eggs were thrown from multiple sources within the crowd, striking the vehicle and nearly striking officers. An officer was able to identify one of the agitators, and they were quickly detained and escorted from the bridge. No force was used and compliance was gained verbally.
The crowd dispersed the bridge and processed eastbound, stopping near Woods Coffee on Main Street, briefly on the I-5 bridge, then at McDonalds. At each stop, the crowd increasingly dissipated. The crowd then proceeded back westbound and made its way to City Hall, then back to the Pioneer Bridge. At approximately 1:30 p.m., the crowd had fully dispersed.
While several verbal warnings were given, no written warnings, citations, or infractions were issued.
After this story was published, it was discovered that the Ferndale School District Superintendent had posted a message on a personal social media account addressing the walkout.
Click for more information
Click for more information
We want to provide clarification regarding the district’s response to today’s student walkout. This event was not a district-sanctioned event but as we became aware of the planned walkout, our staff developed plans to prioritize student safety.
When students leave campus during the school day, our standard practice, regardless of the reason, is to take reasonable steps to support student safety and maintain communication with families. This includes situations such as students leaving campus without permission or participating in unscheduled off-campus activity.
In this instance, staff members were present in coordination with the Ferndale Police Department to help monitor the situation and support safety efforts. Staff were also working to identify students, take attendance, to ensure families get notified of their child’s absence, consistent with our normal procedures when students are off campus during the school day.
We want to recognize that the majority of our students remained respectful and peaceful throughout the morning. We respect the right to peaceful expression, however, use of profanity, harassment, or damage to property is unacceptable and is not in accordance with district behavior policies.
– Ferndale School District Superintendent Kristi Dominguez (January 30, 2026)
Discover more from Whatcom News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
