OAN Staff Addie Davis
2:04 PM – Tuesday, April 7, 2026
A San Diego, California, high school has reportedly expunged the suspension of a student who had posted pro–Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posters on campus.
According to an April 1st statement by the Foundation for Individual Rights Expression (FIRE), who took up the student’s case, the Torrey Pines High School student posted flyers in common areas reading, “We ❤️ I.C.E. – Real Americans.” The school claimed the posters constituted “harassment” and “intimidation,” even though it had allowed anti-ICE posters containing vulgar language.
“School administrator’s can’t pick and choose which opinions students are allowed to express,” said FIRE Supervising Senior Attorney Conor Fitzpatrick. “Voicing an opinion which makes others upset is not ‘harassment’ or ‘intimidation,’ it is American democracy in action.”
The organization pointed to the fact that a couple weeks prior, hundreds of students engaged in a peaceful mid-school-day walkout in protest of ICE and immigration enforcement policy, in which students held posters with messages including “F*** ICE,” “ICE is KKK spelled differently,” and “If You’re an I.C.E. Agent Ya Mom’s a Hoe!!”
The student told Fox News Digital that he wanted to provide an opposing view to the one shared by the majority of people at the school.
“I believe in ICE’s mission and I think we should enforce our immigration laws,” he said. “I also wanted to provide an opposing view to the anti-ICE opinions that the majority of students, teachers, and administrators at Torrey Pines seem to have and often share. I wanted to show students that the issue isn’t one-sided and that their opinions are common and matter, too.”
Two days after posting the flyers, he was called into the assistant principal’s office and was told his signs were “unacceptable,” “fighting words,” “incendiary” and “dehumanizing,” he claimed.
The outlet also reported that he found the punishment frustrating as anti-ICE demonstrators using harsher language during their walkout were not similarly penalized, according to his knowledge.
“It made me feel like the school wants to punish me and silence me just because administrators think my views are wrong,” the student stated. “I’m glad the other students were allowed to share their anti-ICE views, but I have every [bit as] much right as they do to share my own. It felt especially unfair because some of their signs used swear words and other epithets while mine was very tame.”
The student also didn’t see how his poster was considered harassment or intimidating.
“I never bothered anyone or did anything disruptive. All I did was quietly post some flyers,” the student said.
In a statement to the outlet, the school district maintained that the student was not suspended over political beliefs. It also said it cannot speak publicly about student discipline issues due to privacy laws.
“The San Dieguito Union High School District has not and does not discipline students because of their political viewpoints,” school officials said. “The District supports students’ rights to express their viewpoints while also maintaining school campuses that are safe, orderly, and respectful environments for everyone.”
“Nevertheless, we note that schools do have rules that govern student conduct and campus safety, including policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment. The District applies these rules fairly and impartially to help provide and ensure a safe learning environment for all students.”
The school agreed to expunge the suspension from the student’s record following representation by FIRE, according to the organization’s statement.
“We’re pleased the school has erased the suspension and will be watching closely to ensure the school respects its students’ First Amendment rights,” Fitzpatrick said. “The law is clear: Public schools must allow students to peacefully express their political opinions.”
FIRE also recently took on a separate case of a high school student whose editorial cartoon criticizing ICE was censored by their school’s administration.
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