Pioneer Valley and Santa Maria High School students walk out in protest of ICE

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Students from 2 Santa Maria high schools peacefully protested against immigration and customs enforcement throughout the city today.

In front of City Hall and at a busy intersection across town, students exercised their rights in demonstrations that went smoothly, thanks to local law enforcement.

The intersection of Broadway and Cook streets in front of City Hall saw the greatest number of protesters on Friday.

Earlier in the afternoon, police and members of CalTrans closed the freeway on- and off-ramps at the highly trafficked intersection of Main street and US Highway 101 in Santa Maria.

A call from Pioneer Valley High School to Santa Maria police department dispatch gave officers the intel that students planned to walk out of their classes in a peaceful protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or “ICE.”

Authorities say the brief closure at Main street and their presence during the protests was an act of protection for the students as much as the rest of the community.

“We wanted to make sure that the public was safe. Sometimes it requires getting permits and doing it lawfully and finding the routes to do that, to show your support. Everybody has a constitutional right to assemble and to protest. They just have to do that in a lawful manner. And that's what we're out here to ensure happens,” says Ben Smith, Santa Maria police sergeant.

The freeway ramp closure at Main street was short-lived, as the protesting students were able to safely cross the intersection.

Some students stayed out at City Hall for the afternoon, but many began leaving around 3:00.

All freeway ramps are back open and traffic has resumed its normal Friday-evening patterns.