FREMONT, NE — A student-led demonstration against federal immigration enforcement turned violent Thursday afternoon when a red SUV, adorned with a flag supporting President Trump, struck a student protester before fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 p.m. during a non-school-sponsored walkout in Fremont. Video captured by News Channel Nebraska shows a sequence that has sparked intense debate: as a group of students stood on the pavement, a red SUV began to pull away. While some witnesses describe the driver as speeding up to intentionally hit the victim, footage also appears to show a student stepping directly into the path of the moving vehicle as it began to accelerate.
The student was thrown onto the hood of the SUV before rolling off to the side. The driver initially slowed down after the impact but then left the scene. School district officials confirmed the student was alert and talking when she was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
“National Shutdown”: A Wave of Student Defiance
The Fremont incident is part of a rapidly escalating nationwide movement as students and educators take a stand against the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
Today, January 30, 2026, marks the “National Shutdown,” a grassroots general strike that has paralyzed schools and businesses in several major cities. Organizers have called for “No work. No school. No shopping,” to protest the recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.
The surge in school-based activism includes:
- Denver & Aurora: Both major school districts canceled classes today after thousands of teachers and staff called out in solidarity with the protests.
- Los Angeles & the Bay Area: Hundreds of students from over 20 high schools walked off campus earlier this week, citing the fear that schools are no longer “sensitive locations” protected from ICE activity.
- Phoenix & Cleveland: Students at Title I schools have staged marches to the offices of federal representatives, arguing that their Hispanic and immigrant classmates are being “terrorized” by the increased presence of masked agents near campus.
The New Rules of the Road
The anger in the streets is fueled by a major policy shift: in January 2025, President Trump revoked the 2011 “sensitive locations” memo that previously kept federal officials away from schools and houses of worship. While ICE agents still require a warrant to enter a classroom, they are now frequently seen in school parking lots and lobbies, a presence that many students and parents say has turned their neighborhoods into “war zones.”
In Fremont, the local investigation into the hit-and-run is ongoing. Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) called the footage “disturbing,” while Superintendent Brad Dahl stated the district will continue working with first responders to ensure student safety during these volatile expressions of dissent.
