About 100 students walked out of Dripping Springs High School during the school day Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, staging a peaceful protest against immigration enforcement policies as law enforcement closely monitored the march route and issued traffic citations to several student and parent drivers.
Students left campus midday carrying signs critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and headed off school grounds on foot, moving from Dripping Springs High down Sportsplex Drive to Mercer Street. Parents and other supporters followed alongside the group—some walking, others driving in a line of vehicles that both led and trailed the march.
Along the route, a heavy law enforcement presence was visible near the campus and on surrounding streets, with patrol vehicles positioned to manage traffic and keep students separated from moving cars. Witnesses and students on scene said multiple vehicles connected to the march were pulled over by Hays County deputy constables.
Several of those stops resulted in citations for “impeding traffic,” according to students and witnesses who spoke at the scene. The tickets, issued to drivers that included both students and parents, became an immediate flashpoint as the march continued and families tried to balance participation with safety on a route shared with regular daytime traffic.
The heightened enforcement presence had been foreshadowed in advance communications from Hays County’s Precinct 4 constable. Constable Dave Graham posted a notice to families ahead of Thursday’s walkout, writing: “Out of an abundance of caution, Precinct 4 Deputy Constables will be providing increased, high-visibility patrols on and around campus to help ensure a safe and secure environment. The safety of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority.” https://www.facebook.com/
By Thursday evening, Graham’s office had not provided additional comment when contacted for follow-up about the traffic tickets.
Parents who participated described a mix of support for students’ message and concern about the way the event played out on busy streets. “I'm a little bit disappointed that they got tickets too, but I guess we're halfway through the month and need to get some revenue going,” said parent Tara Paustenbach. https://cbsaustin.com/
Others said they were less focused on the politics of the protest than on keeping students safe as they moved away from campus. “We don't really want to get into it. We just want to be able to watch them speak their mind and escort them and make sure they stay safe,” said parent Sarah Smith. https://cbsaustin.com/
The walkout also put renewed attention on how schools respond when student demonstrations occur during class time. In a statement issued last week, Dripping Springs ISD emphasized that it was not involved in organizing or facilitating the walkout, while acknowledging that students have protected speech rights.
“While students have constitutionally protected First Amendment rights, student safety is always our top priority,” the district said. “Although students may feel compelled to exercise their right to free speech and expression, we believe it is best done outside of school hours and in a way that does not disrupt instructional time.” https://www.drippingspringsisd.org/
Legal advocates have long argued that student and campus speech rights do not end when classes are in session, even as school officials routinely cite safety and instructional time when discouraging walkouts. “The First Amendment doesn’t set when the sun goes down,” said FIRE senior supervising attorney JT Morris in commentary on legal challenges to restrictions on student expressive activity. https://www.thefire.org/
Thursday’s events in Dripping Springs unfolded amid a broader wave of student-led demonstrations across Central Texas since late January, as young people in multiple communities have organized walkouts and rallies criticizing immigration enforcement actions and calling for protections for immigrant families. The protests have brought familiar tensions into sharp relief: students seeking to make their voices heard, school systems seeking to limit disruptions and manage liability, and law enforcement tasked with keeping roads open while preventing crowds from spilling into traffic.
In Dripping Springs, that tension was visible on Sportsplex Drive and Mercer Street as marchers moved through town and citations were written on the shoulder nearby. For some families, the tickets underscored a sense that the response was punitive; for others, the patrol cars were a sign that officials were preparing for a potentially risky situation involving minors, vehicles, and an unscheduled departure from campus.
Even as the crowd dispersed later in the day, the walkout added another entry to a growing list of student actions in the region—an ongoing cycle of civic engagement that continues to test the balance between student expression, public safety, and the daily routines of schools and surrounding neighborhoods.
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