ENUMCLAW, Wash. — A student ICE protest outside Enumclaw City Hall turned chaotic Friday, resulting in the arrest of two 17-year-olds.
The incident began when counter-protesters approached a group of teenagers, according to the Enumclaw Police Department. Police say one 17-year-old assaulted a counter-protester and the other tried to obstruct officers from arresting the other teen.
The situation escalated when a man approached Enumclaw police officers who were positioned near a vehicle and reported that he had just been assaulted.
When officers tried to confront a 17-year-old suspect about the report, the teenager allegedly ran off into the roadway on SR 169.
During the ensuing arrests, police reported being surrounded by dozens of students who followed officers to the local jail and attempted to push through a security gate.
Enumclaw Police Chief Tim Floyd said the tension continued once the group reached the police station.
“Some of the crowd tried to push through the gate and follow our staff inside to the jail,” Floyd said.
Because the incident occurred so close to the station, officers chose not to use a vehicle for transport.
“We are literally a block away from where this happened and our jail, so they decided to just walk her to the jail,” Floyd said.
This protest follows several recent student walkouts in western Washington that have required law enforcement intervention, including incidents in Issaquah, Lake Stevens and Arlington.
Enumclaw School District sent out a letter to parents about the incident and this statement to KIRO 7 below:
“The Enumclaw School District did not talk with students about ‘how to handle themselves during these walkouts.’ The district informed secondary students that demonstrations are not permitted on school grounds during the school day, and that any absences related to a walkout would be considered unexcused. Communication was sent to all ESD families to share this information and strongly encourage families to talk with their students to help them better understand school expectations, the importance of remaining engaged in learning, and appropriate ways to express their opinions and concerns.
Floyd addressed the department’s decision to move forward with the arrests, noting that the priority was public safety rather than the content of the demonstration.
“Making these arrests last week was not about silencing voices or viewpoints,” Floyd said. “It was about enforcing criminal law, which somebody broke the law.”
Floyd expressed hope that the incident could serve as a learning opportunity for those involved. He noted that while he was concerned about future protests getting out of hand, he remained optimistic about the value of civil discourse.
“One of the things that makes our country so great is the fact that you are allowed to have opposing views and have free speech,” Floyd said. He encouraged the students to “not listen to respond, but listen to understand.”
The two teenagers arrested during the protest were released to their parents.
Enumclaw police stated that charges could be pending for both of those individuals as well as a third student involved in the incident.
©2026 Cox Media Group
