The Torrey Pines High School junior whose February suspension followed posting pro‑ICE flyers has had the disciplinary mark removed after intervention by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The student said he posted the flyers to offer a counterpoint to perceived anti‑ICE sentiment on campus and was cited for alleged "harassment" and "intimidation." The district says it enforces conduct rules to keep campuses safe, while FIRE says non‑disruptive political expression is protected First Amendment speech.
San Diego High School Removes Suspension After Pro‑ICE Flyers Spark Free‑Speech Dispute
Individuals clap outside their home as hundreds of students march in protest against ICE and the Trump Administration near Navajo Road on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in San Diego, California.(Getty Images)
A Torrey Pines High School junior has had a February suspension removed from his record after he posted pro‑Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flyers on campus and attorneys from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) intervened.
What Happened
School administrators disciplined the student after he posted flyers in common areas reading 'We [heart] ICE — Real Americans.' Two days later he was summoned to the assistant principal's office and told the posters were "unacceptable," constituted "fighting words," and amounted to "dehumanizing" language, according to an announcement from FIRE.
A young communist holds up her sign at an anti-ICE rally at Foley Square in New York City on Jan. 8, 2026.
Student Response
I believe in ICE's mission and I think we should enforce our immigration laws. 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.
The student told Fox News Digital he posted the flyers to offer a counterpoint to what he described as widespread anti‑ICE sentiment on campus. He said the disciplinary action felt unfair because, in his view, students who organized an anti‑ICE walkout two weeks earlier used harsher language and had not been similarly punished.
School And Legal Response
The San Dieguito Union High School District declined to comment on individual student discipline due to privacy laws but said it does not discipline students for their political viewpoints. The district emphasized that it enforces conduct and safety policies — including those that prohibit harassment and intimidation — to maintain a safe, respectful learning environment.
Signage is displayed outside Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California, on Friday, July 10, 2020.
After FIRE attorneys contacted the district, officials agreed to remove the suspension from the student's record. Conor Fitzpatrick, FIRE's Supervising Senior Attorney, said school administrators cannot pick and choose which opinions students are allowed to express, and that non‑disruptive political expression is protected by the First Amendment.
School administrators can’t pick and choose which opinions students are allowed to express. Voicing an opinion which makes others upset is not 'harassment' or 'intimidation,' it is American democracy in action.
Context And Reaction
Photos shared on social media from the Feb. 6 walkout showed students carrying signs with stronger language critical of ICE, which the student and FIRE cited to argue unequal enforcement. The case gained wider attention after it was shared online by a local political candidate.
With the record cleared, the student said he hopes other students will feel free to express unpopular views so long as they remain respectful and non‑disruptive. The district has stated it will continue to apply rules intended to protect all students while respecting constitutional rights.
Help us improve.
