The Brief

It's Day 22 of the federal government shutdown, and Republicans and Democrats appear no closer to an agreement to end it.

Without a fix, many federal employees will not be getting paid this Friday, the first full paycheck they'll miss as a result of the shutdown. By law federal workers are supposed to get back pay once the shutdown ends, but the White House has tried to cast doubt on that.

Meanwhile, President Trump has tied the shutdown to his overall goal of shrinking the size of the government, laying off workers en masse while it continues — and promising more — while specifically targeting what he calls "Democrat programs."

Read the latest on a case brought by some fired federal workers to pause the latest wave of shutdown layoffs.

As the shutdown drags on, here's the latest on what we know.

Jump to state-specific impacts.

Why did the federal government shut down?

A partisan argument over if and when lawmakers need to act to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to the current shutdown. Some 24 million people — who don't have insurance through their jobs or a public program like Medicaid — use the system to buy health plans.

Prominent Republican lawmakers have claimed the Democrats are looking to provide tax dollars to help pay for the heath care of undocumented immigrants. That is not true.

Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for the Republican short-term funding bill that passed the House but did not include an extension of the health care tax credits. Democrats are also hoping to repeal cuts to health care programs that were put in place as part of the GOP spending and tax bill that passed over the summer.

NPR's Deirdre Walsh reports that some Democrats say Nov. 1 could be a key date in talks to loosen the current gridlock. That date marks the beginning of open enrollment for people getting coverage through the ACA, when most states will send notices to subscribers laying out the cost of coverage without subsidies.

In Vermont, where notices started going out on Oct. 15, for example, some families are facing increases of $25,000, according to Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.

Read more about more about the health care fight behind the shutdown here.

Plus, why Democrats are casting the government shutdown as a health care showdown.

— Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR

Will the military get paid on Oct. 29? 

The Trump administration earlier this month found unused research and development funds to pay active military members, according to a Pentagon official not authorized to speak publicly. So they didn't miss a full paycheck, but it only covered one pay cycle. That was on Oct. 15; troops get paid every other Wednesday.

Military families are already seeking additional assistance from food banks and other groups to help with paying bills.

Are government workers being laid off during the shutdown?

The Trump administration has been following through on threats to further slash the size of government during the shutdown, seeking to layoff roughly 4,000 workers earlier this month. Some workers are fighting back in court; the judge overseeing the case issued a temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to pause reduction in force (RIF) efforts that affect certain unionized employees.

Read more about the case and how the Trump administration has reacted to the temporary court order

What about WIC and SNAP benefits?

Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food program was estimated to run out after about two weeks. But USDA has distributed money from the previous fiscal year, helping at least some states continue to fund the program. The White House has said it will use tariff revenue to keep WIC afloat, though has provided few details. Trump's budget proposal earlier this year had looked to cut WIC funding.

Beyond WIC, the country's much larger food aid program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, previously known as food stamps) — is funded through October.

That's because the debit-like cards people use to buy food are loaded a month in advance. USDA earlier this month told state agencies to hold off paying for November benefits for lack of sufficient funding, "until further notice."

— Jennifer Ludden, NPR

And what about school lunches?

Some state agencies say they may not have the funds to reimburse schools providing free and low-cost meals.

Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association, says some agencies have told her organization they don't have the money to pay schools back for meals during the shutdown.

"There is a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to make sure that kids have access to healthy meals at school, so we are hopeful that the administration and Congress will act before this becomes an issue."

According to Pratt-Heavner, USDA released funds to regional offices for meals served in October. But some states report they have yet to receive any money, she said. Before the shutdown, USDA released a contingency plan outlining funds states could tap into to cover any gaps. A USDA spokesman did not directly answer NPR when asked if the agency would advance funding to state agencies should the shutdown persist.

— Kadin Mills, NPR

A United States Postal Service (USPS) mail box stands in Manhattan on August 05, 2020 in New York City. Mail services will not be affected by the government shutdown.

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USPS is 'open for business as usual'

"U.S. Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a government shutdown," according to a statement by USPS. The postal service is primarily self-funded and doesn't depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.

IRS furloughs nearly half its staff

A contingency plan from the Treasury Department says that slightly more than half of the IRS' approximately 74,000 workers remain on the job and will continue to work for the foreseeable future. Some IRS employees were issued reduction in force, or RIF, notices on Friday and posted screenshots of those notices informing them of their last day, Dec. 9.

The contingency plan says nearly all of those employees who continue to work will be paid using sources other than annual appropriations, which are on hold during the shutdown. Tasks will include completing and testing systems to handle next year's tax-filing season, and maintaining computers to prevent the loss of data.

— Scott Horsley, Andrea Hsu and Stephen Fowler, NPR

Teachers and schools won't be directly impacted, but federal education functions might

Eighty-seven percent of Department of Education employees have been temporary furloughed, as detailed in agency shutdown contingency plans.

At the same time, the administration is trying to use a new round of layoffs to gut multiple offices inside the department, including the Office for Civil Rights and the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department. 

This latest reduction-in-force (RIF) cut at least 121 staffers responsible for overseeing roughly $15 billion in special education funding and for making sure states provide special education services to the nation's more than 7.5 million children with disabilities. According to multiple sources, the special education office is now left with just a handful of top executives and support staff.

In addition, many Department of Education employees who were furloughed were surprised to see a message blaming Democrats for the government shutdown inserted into their out-of-office replies. A federal workers union is suing the Trump administration for inserting the language into employees' out-of-office email messages.

— Shannon Bond and Cory Turner, NPR

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2026 went live as scheduled at the start of October. As WPR's Corrinne Hess reports, the U.S. Department of Education says that student financial aid programs will continue, despite the shutdown.

Greg Freeman, a National Park Service ranger closes the entrance gate due to the government shutdown at the Everglades National Park Shark Valley on Oct. 1 in Florida. Shark Valley remains open to visitors who park outside the entrance gate and walk in, although with limited staffing.

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National Parks are a mixed bag

Across the country, the National Park Service (NPS) have brought their operations to a halt. That includes the National Zoo and other Smithsonian facilities. NPR's Alana Wise reports that the Smithsonian assured the public that animals would still be cared for during the zoo's closure. Animal cams are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.

As KQED's Sarah Wright and Carly Severn reported, a contingency plan for the NPS says that park roads, lookouts and trails "will generally remain accessible to visitors" for the duration of the shutdown, but other services such as regular road and trail condition updates would not be provided.

Concerns have also been raised about the safety and responsibility of keeping parks open without having a robust number of employees available to conduct critical services.

Salem will be open through Halloween thanks to community support

WBUR's Andrea Shea reports that local leaders in Salem, Mass., learned a National Park Service visitor center and its bathrooms would be closed during their busiest tourist season so they took action on a plan to keep them open.

Shea reports that NPS agreed to let Salem reopen the center if the community covered costs through Halloween weekend. Annie Harris — CEO of the non-profit Essex Heritage that helps staff and run the facility — sent out a flurry of emails including to the mayor. Within 48 hours businesses and non-profits raised $18,000 — keeping the center open until Nov. 2.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits will continue

Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue.

But employees at Social Security field offices earlier this month said the government shutdown has left them unable to carry out an important service for some recipients. As NPR's Ashley Lopez reports, workers say they are unable to provide benefit verification letters to people calling in to request them. These official letters act as a sort of income verification and are therefore key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance and help from nonprofits.

In an Oct. 21 email to users answering commonly asked questions about how shutdown impacts, SSA noted the online portal can still be used to access benefit verification letters.

As NPR's Scott Horsley reports some furloughed employees at the Labor Department are coming back to work, in order to complete the September inflation report, which is a key ingredient used to calculate the cost of living adjustment that Social Security recipients will receive next year. The report will come come out on Friday, nine days late.

Read more on how a fight over health policy led to the government shutdown from NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin.

ICE will mostly continue uninterrupted

Immigration cases and enforcement are proceeding as usual during the government shutdown, with a few small exceptions. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the employees in the Office of Detention Oversight, which inspects immigration detention centers, is currently not working. "We hope Democrats will open up the government swiftly so that this office can resume its work," McLaughlin said.

According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS law enforcement, including ICE agents, will be paid for work done during the shutdown.

"More than 70,000 sworn law enforcement officers across DHS including those serving in CBP, ICE, Secret Service, TSA and other critical mission areas will be paid for all hours worked during the shutdown period," Noem posted on X on Thursday. "By Wednesday, October 22, law enforcement officers will receive a "super check" – which covers the 4 days lost, their overtime, and their next pay period."

The U.S. Coast Guard, which is housed within DHS, will continue to be paid, according to a post earlier this week from Noem, from funds appropriated in the reconciliation bill earlier this year.

— Ximena Bustillo, NPR

An air traffic control tower is seen following the government shutdown at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 1 in Austin, Texas.

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If you're flying soon …

Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees are considered "essential workers" and have to stay on the job.

Travelers across the U.S. are beginning to feel the impacts of the government shutdown, as air traffic control staffing shortages disrupt flights across the country.

Air traffic controllers helped to end the last government shutdown, and could help end this one as well. A "slight increase" in sick leave at two facilities on the East Coast threw some major airports into chaos.

Read more on what a shortage of air traffic controllers could do to bring an end to the shutdown from NPR's Joel Rose.

The impact of the shutdown looks different in different parts of the country

Some states across the country are uniquely positioned to feel the impact of the government shutdown. Reporters from the NPR Network are digging into the ways the government shutdown is playing out in their region.

Here's what we know so far about how the shutdown is affecting specific communities across the country:

Alaska

• The U.S. Transportation Department says it has secured funding to continue the Essential Air Service program, subsidizing routes to 65 Alaska communities and more than an additional 100 communities nationwide, through Nov. 2. [Alaska Public Media]
• About 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska, one of the highest percentages of federal employees when compared with other states. President Trump's threat that federal employees could receive termination notices increases the uncertainty around how this crucial workforce to Alaska's economy could be affected. [Alaska Public Media]

For more on the impact in Alaska, head to Alaska Public Media.

Arizona

• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she would not spend state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open should the government shutdown. [KJZZ] 
• Social services in Grand Canyon Village are gearing up to support non-essential employees at Grand Canyon National Park, including food pantry resources. [KNAU]
• Sen. Ruben Gallego said the shutdown would also not affect federal relief money to communities in the Miami-Globe area after torrential monsoon rains caused flash flooding in the region [KJZZ]
• Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport joined a handful of other airports across the country that have refused to display a video from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the government shutdown. [KJZZ]
  

California

• The shutdown of the federal government has brought the full or partial closure of many National Park Service sites across California: Muir Woods is fully closed. Alcatraz Island is slated to stay open. Other sites like Point Reyes National Seashore and Fort Point have partial closures, with some parking lots blocked or bathrooms locked. Even some park staff said they didn't learn the plan until Sept. 30 — the afternoon before the government shut down. Yosemite is open, but with lots of changes for visitors. [KQED]

Colorado

• Sites and lands in Colorado operated by the National Park Service are open, but "some services may be limited or unavailable," according to the agency's website. [Colorado Public Radio]
• In Colorado, the federal government employs thousands of workers at climate or land-management agencies. An EPA spokesperson told CPR News that the agency is operating under its shutdown plan, which would furlough thousands of employees. [Colorado Public Radio]
• Unemployment claims from Colorado's federal workers are surging amid the U.S. government shutdown. Stephanie Rogers, a Colorado-based microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration, told CPR she filed for unemployment the day after the shutdown started. [Colorado Public Radio]

Connecticut

• Connecticut will continue federally funded food assistance programs for state residents during the government shutdown, Gov. Ned Lamont said on Wednesday. But he said the state's reserve money for SNAP, the food assistance program for low-income families, will run out by the end of the month. [WSHU]
• Connecticut has a $2.5 billion budget surplus this year — its second largest in history. Advocates are asking Lamont to consider using it to help offset the federal shortfall. [WSHU]

Georgia

• For federal workers living paycheck to paycheck, one option to get through being furloughed could be filing for unemployment insurance, Georgia Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes said. The employees will have to pay the benefits back once the shutdown ends and they receive back pay, but the benefits can help them make ends meet while they are not being paid. [GPB]
• Georgia farmers could also face delays in block grant funding and commodity data they rely on during the time-sentitive season of planting and harvesting. [NPR]

Kansas

• If the federal government shutdown continues, the Mid-America Regional Council said it may need to temporarily close Head Start centers serving more than 2,300 Kansas City children beginning Nov. 1. [KCUR]
• Kansas farmers face several uncertainties, as payments from some federal programs are in limbo. In addition, nearly half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's employees will be furloughed, and many offices will be closed. [KCUR]
• During the last two shutdowns, the USDA did not publish its monthly crop reports. This comes at an inconvenient time as Midwest farmers are in harvest season. [KCUR]

For more on the impact in Kansas City, head to KCUR.

Louisiana

• The National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, is managed by FEMA and provides flood insurance to those who don't have a private option. It has grown in size as most homeowner's insurance policies across the U.S. have dropped flood damage entirely. It covers nearly half a million Louisianans. Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown. [WWNO/WRKF]

For more on the impact in Louisiana, head to WWNO/WRKF.

Illinois

• Three workers who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times said they haven't been furloughed, but they've dealt with uncertainties and fragmented coordination since the federal government shut down Oct. 1 on top of a year of uncertainty. [Chicago Public Media]

Maine

• Even though much of the staff of Acadia National Park in Maine has been furloughed, it was a popular weekend at the park. [Maine Public]

Minnesota

• Thousands of Minnesotans might not receive federal food aid benefits if the government shutdown continues into November, as federal officials have told states that funding for SNAP benefits is running out. [MPR News]

Missouri

• Families enrolled in the Missouri WIC program — which provides supplemental food, nutrition education and support to low-income women and children — will not be immediately impacted by the shutdown. [St. Louis Public Radio]
• The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis are temporarily closed, with National Park Service work largely on hold. [St. Louis Public Radio]
  

New Hampshire

• There are more than 5,000 civilian federal employees in New Hampshire, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Manchester VA Medical Center, the White Mountain National Forest, the Berlin federal prison, the passport processing center at Pease and at other federal agencies. How the shutdown might affect them isn't entirely clear. [NHPR]
• The White Mountain National Forest will remain open, but some say earlier staff cuts are hampering critical activities. Firefighting and disaster response activities will also continue, according to federal officials. [NHPR]
• On Oct. 7, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the veteran appropriator who has helped broker past bipartisan deals, told NPR, she has been working behind the scenes with senators from both parties to "find common ground." [NPR]

For more on the impact in New Hampshire, head to NHPR.

North Dakota

• The state-owned Bank of North Dakota is partnering with local banks and credit unions to provide short-term low interest loans to federal government employees and members of the armed services stationed in North Dakota, if they experience financial hardship because of the federal government shutdown. [Prairie Public]

For more on the impact in North Dakota, head to Prairie Public.

Oklahoma

• With the federal government shut down, National Park rangers are not present at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. Victims, family members and first responders are stepping in to educate visitors on the location's story.⁠ [KOSU]

Oregon

• The federal government program used to subsidize commercial flights in Pendleton got a last-minute reprieve from grinding to a halt due to the partial government shutdown. But as of Wednesday, immediate answers on how that might affect Eastern Oregon's only commercial airport are in short supply. The municipally operated Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton holds the only Essential Air Service (EAS) contract in the state, a federal program that helps rural airports operate. [OPB]

Pennsylvania

• Tens of thousands of Pennsylvania-based federal workers furloughed during the government shutdown may be eligible for unemployment compensation through the state Department of Labor & Industry. [WITF]

Tennessee

• On Oct. 7, the FAA notified local officials in Nashville that flights in and out of Nashville International Airport (BNA) would be reduced Tuesday afternoon due to a shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown. Nashville's airport was back to normal by Wednesday morning. [WLPN]

Texas

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who inspect cargo at the 32 other official ports of entry are among the essential federal workers who must remain on the job unpaid. The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick. [Houston Public Media]

Utah

• In Ogden, Utah, about 10 percent works for the IRS, and when federal workers stop getting paychecks, impacts are felt quickly and broadly. (KUER)

Washington

• On Oct. 6, state officials say they have enough to cover WIC for the next two weeks. Seattle and King County have partnered to dedicate nearly $2 million to provide one-time vouchers to an estimated 30,000 clients in King County who rely on WIC. [KUOW]
• The Employment Security Department says the 80,000 federal workers in Washington State may qualify for unemployment benefits. [OPB]

Wyoming

• On Oct. 3, Gov. Mark Gordon said Wyoming will cover gaps in funding to federally funded state employees who are in the state budget "in the short-term." [Wyoming Public Media]

For more on the impact in Wyoming, head to Wyoming Public Media.

NPR's Padma Rama, Emily Alfin Johnson and Heidi Glenn edited this piece.
Copyright 2025 NPR

Singer-songwriter Dwight Yoakam has lived in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. But coming up during the 1980s in the clubs of L.A. and the San Fernando Valley, you might say his style is more California Country than anything.

Yoakam recently sold out The Roxy for a concert benefitting Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles. The 69-year-old musician and actor had a lot of backup from a younger generation of country acts.

He was joined on stage by Grammy-nominated people like Lukas Nelson — as in Willie’s son — guitar prodigy Marcus King and others.

Dwight Yoakam and Lukas Nelson (center) take the stage at The Roxy.

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“It’s flattering on a personal level that five artists of that generation would come and collaborate with me to do this. But more importantly it was gratifying to hear their response to the charitable cause of Children’s Hospital,” Yoakam said.

Yoakam and wife, Emily Joyce, had a very personal inspiration for organizing the benefit concert. In 2020, during the peak of COVID, their own infant son was seen at Children’s Hospital. They were relieved it was nothing, but an experience Emily relayed to Yoakam changed him.

“She heard the little boy behind in another recovery bed come to. Five or six. And his eyes opened — I guess his father was there with him at his bedside. And he said ‘Was I brave daddy?’ And I said: ‘Wow, it puts everything in life in quick perspective.’"

Yoakam said the experience stuck with Joyce so much that she was determined to put a benefit show together. And it was heartening having so many of his friends back him up for the "Rockin’ for the Kids" concert, Yoakam said. The night even had a surprise on-stage FaceTime call from actor Billy Bob Thornton. The actor and director — who cast Yoakam in his 1996 film Sling Blade — was originally scheduled to help emcee the event, but was stuck at an iced out movie shoot in New Jersey.

Los Angeles calling

Yoakam came out to the warm California sun in the late 70s, and it wasn’t long before he was gigging hard at long gone honky-tonks like The Palomino and The Corral in the San Fernando Valley.

“[I] spent a year of my life on the off nights [at The Corral] — let me tell you — that’s the real world,” Yoakam recalled. “The time I was out there doing, you know, five sets a night. You’d start at nine and end at two in the morning... And you know I really made my bones there.”

It wasn’t long before Yoakam’s California Country music was mixing and merging with a new scene in L.A. One that blended the punk rock ethos with the twang of country.

“The crossroads of time and place happened again in the early 80s with the quote ‘Cowpunk’ movement. A lot of them were punk rock bands. Like The Dills became Rank and File. The Plugz — with a Z — became Los Cruzados,” Yoakam said.

He would go on to share the bill with bands like X and The Blasters. And Yoakam was embraced by crowds of punk rockers too.

“I said, ‘You know what? We don’t have to play The Roundup out in the Valley, we don’t have to play just The Palomino. I said ‘We can go over the hill,’” he said.

Yoakam remembered it was Bill Bentley, a former music editor for the LA Weekly, who saw him performing at The Palomino and then invited him to play Club Lingerie on Sunset Blvd.

“That introduced me to a different audience. And then we started playing... the rock n’ roll side of the hill,” Yoakam said.

By 1986, Yoakam was playing at The Roxy for the record release party for “Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc.” The live performance was recorded and included on later releases of the album.

“We did the record release party, 40 years ago in March, at The Roxy. It was kind of a full-circle moment. Interesting book-end, if you will, from 1986 to now,” Yoakam said.

Yoakam will play Ontario’s ONT Field on March 21, right before heading out on tour with ZZ Top.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

Thousands more students joined walkouts Friday to protest the Trump administration’s militarized crackdown on immigrants, detainment of children and violence against U.S. citizens protesting the raids.

By mid-afternoon, nearly 12,500 students from more than 85 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District had walked out, according to a district spokesperson. Hundreds of students in other districts — from Pasadena and the greater San Gabriel Valley to Orange County — also marched in their communities.

At Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar, about 100 students—some as young as 11—walked out of their science, English, and math classes, then walked to a nearby park.

For many students, Friday’s walkout marks the first time they’ve ever participated in a protest. And after months of watching federal immigration agents violently detain people on social media, the students told LAist that protesting — on behalf of their communities and in honor of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — filled them with a sense of freedom and power.

Isaac, a seventh grader, walked out of science class.

“This felt like I was breaking out of some sort of chamber,” he told LAist. “I felt like I was being free for once.”

Many of the 12-year-old’s family members are from Mexico and he’s been worried about what could happen if they’re detained.

“I'm standing up for my family and my friends, our community, really,” he said. “The most we [can] do is what we're doing right now.”

After months of being scared every time his parents go to work, Isaac said the protest was a type of salve.

“It makes us feel better,” he said. “It makes us stronger.”

M, right, is a sixth grader at Olive Vista and organized the school's walkout.

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How to organize a middle school

A few weeks ago, M, an 11-year-old sixth grader at Olive Vista Middle School, asked her mom, Maritza Ocegueda, why students in Minnesota and elsewhere were walking out of school. LAist has agreed to refer to her solely by her first initial, after her mom raised concerns for her safety.

Ocegueda shared with her daughter that she walked out of Van Nuys High School as a junior in 2006 to protest proposed federal immigration legislation. Nearly 40,000 students from across Southern California joined the movement.

“ I was floored,” Ocegueda said. “It inspires me and gives me that little bit of hope… Maybe we can make a change.”

M decided to organize a walkout at her school concurrently with other students in the community. 

She made several lunchtime announcements about a walkout on Friday, Feb. 6 at 10:24 a.m.

“If you'd like to join, please come over here and if you have any questions, just ask me.”

Those announcements did not come easily to M, who is soft spoken and admittedly shy. “ I try to be the bravest I can,” she said. “ I want [my classmates] to understand how serious this [is] … [The federal government is not] letting people be themselves, like, they can't go to Home Depot without feeling unsafe.”

M, and several other students said some teachers and administrators discouraged their organizing. M said at one point she was pulled out of class for more than an hour to talk about the walkout.

“ One of the things I told the school [is] you dropped the ball because this is a learning moment,” Ocegueda said. However, she said she’s open to more conversations with school and district leaders on how to support students.

Maritza Ocegueda's daughter M organized Olive Vista Middle School's walkout. She said she's active in the community passing out food and clothes to unhoused neighbors and helping other people connect with resources.

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A Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson provided a statement that said students were informed that walkouts are not school-sponsored, there are spaces on campus for students to exercise their freedom of speech and that they would be marked absent for missed class periods. A similar message was posted to the school’s Facebook page Thursday afternoon.

“Administrators routinely meet with students to share safety information and clarify options for on-campus expression—not to threaten or discipline,” the statement read. “Leaving campus during instructional time without permission is discouraged; that message is about safety and supervision, not suppressing speech.”

M said that other teachers were more supportive and helped her spread the word about the walkout to other students.

“ What I've learned is students should not have to come protest 'cause that's what the adults should be doing,” M said. “Adults should know better to help out the community and students should not have to come out.”

Honks of support 

By mid-morning, students began to trickle out of Olive Vista.

As students joined the group of young activists, those already outside cheered and passing cars honked their horns in support. One SUV had a Mexican flag poking out of the sunroof.

Out by the curb, some of their parents, including M’s mom, were waiting. The adults encouraged the students to stick together and made sure the group waited for the light to turn before crossing the street to Sylmar Park.

" What's in my heart is that my parents are Mexican and I wanna support," said Jayden, an Olive Vista 6th grader.

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Once they gathered, the middle schoolers marched to a nearby park, carrying homemade signs and flags of Latin America.

One student turned to a friend and nervously quipped: “I just really hope we don’t get shot or tear gassed.”

‘They don't understand how much we love our parents.’

In conversation with LAist, multiple students said they live in fear of being separated from their families. They also worry that their parents could be mistreated if they are detained by federal agents.

Eleven-year-old Alejandro, for instance, usually goes to Sylmar Park to play baseball. Today, he said, he went to the protest to honor his mom and dad, Mexican immigrants from the states of Michoacán and Jalisco.

To critics who think he should have stayed in class, he said: “They don't understand how much we love our parents.”

“I just don't like how Donald Trump is calling us ‘animals,’ when we're the ones working our asses off to live paycheck to paycheck, while he's up there sitting in his chair throwing out orders at Kristi Noem,” said eighth-grader Jesús, referring to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

The 13-year-old had his family and his neighbors in mind during the protest, along with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, whose deportation the federal government is working to expedite.

“The little boy who was captured with his little bunny hat, he was captured and he was sent to prison,” Jesús noted. “And that's just crazy, because how are you going to let a little kid inside a prison?”

The federal immigration activity in the San Fernando Valley has also left him feeling nervous, even when he is on campus. “I'm trying to study and then I just get reminded: maybe there's somebody waiting outside to take us.”

Sixth grader Sophia’ said she walked out for her grandmother who’s from Mexico. "I wanna represent our people and show that we aren't bad," Sophia said. "We are actually, like, a great community."

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As the students chanted and waved their signs, adults passed out snacks, water and pizza purchased with money donated from the community.

“They're here with clear intentions and they're here for a purpose,” said Michelle, the parent of another young protestor who requested LAist only use her first name. “I’m just proud of them.”

M, the organizer, said she wouldn’t have used that term to describe herself before the protest.

“Now that I'm looking at myself, I do see myself as a helper,” M said. She plans to continue helping her community, for example by distributing food and clothes to unhoused neighbors.

And she has some advice for any aspiring student organizers.

“ I was a shy kid, so I want them to be brave and speak up,” M said.

She said she planned to finish up the day at school after she ate.

Topline:

Why it matters: King Taco helped establish the template for the modern L.A. taqueria — shifting the city's understanding of tacos from the hard-shell, Americanized version to soft tortillas filled with carne asada, carnitas and tacos al pastor. As the late food critic Jonathan Gold noted, King Taco "solidified what we all think of as the modern Los Angeles taco sensibility."

Why now: The nomination comes as part of the city's ongoing effort to recognize Latino cultural landmarks.

The backstory: Founder Raul Martinez launched King Taco from a converted ice cream truck in 1974, eventually opening the Cypress Park brick-and-mortar location that became the chain's flagship. The business grew to 24 locations across Southern California, becoming a model for immigrant entrepreneurship and establishing key Mexican dishes like tacos al pastor and carnitas as L.A. staples.

What's next: The Cultural Heritage Commission will determine whether King Taco's original location retains sufficient historic integrity and continues to convey its cultural significance. If approved, King Taco would become one of the few designated restaurant landmarks recognizing Latino culinary contributions.