Greg Abbott has ordered a state investigation into the Austin Independent School District after reports that students were allowed to leave campus with a police escort to attend a protest at the Texas Capitol opposing federal immigration enforcement.
Abbott said he directed the Texas education commissioner to review the incident, arguing that public schools are not permitted to facilitate student participation in political demonstrations during instructional hours.
“I have directed the Education Commissioner to investigate this,” Abbott wrote on X. “AISD gets taxpayer dollars to teach the subjects required by the state, not to help students skip school to protest.”
“Our schools are for educating our children, not political indoctrination,” he added. “This is one of many reasons why AISD is losing so many students.”
The investigation centers on actions taken by the Austin Independent School District during a nationwide student walkout held Friday. The coordinated protest, described by organizers as a “National Shutdown,” targeted the federal government’s immigration enforcement policies.
In Texas, students participated in walkouts in multiple cities, including Austin, Waco, and San Antonio. In downtown Austin, groups of students traveled to the state capitol, where a scheduled rally was already underway.
During the protest, speakers criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement and called for the agency’s abolition. The event followed the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, which have become a rallying point for activists nationwide.
According to reporting from the Texas Tribune, at least two individuals were detained by Texas Department of Public Safety officers on Capitol grounds during the demonstration.
