Dallas Police Called to Day Without Immigrants Rally at Molina High School

Dallas police officers were called to Molina High School Thursday when approximately 200 students gathered in a parking lot to take part in a Day Without Immigrants rally.

Dallas police confirmed about 10 squad cars were dispatched to the school upon report of a disturbance in progress but that the protest was peaceful.

Dallas Independent School District board member Miguel Solis said there were about 1,100 students who took part in rallies around the district Thursday. In Fort Worth, school absentees were about 13 percent higher than average. Other North Texas districts saw light to moderate increases in absenteeism Thursday.

"This day, the Day Without Immigrants, was a good thing to show America that we are really a big part of them," said senior Ashley Gutierrez. "We're the ones who take the jobs. We work to be here."

Absenteeism is much higher in the Austin area, where classrooms were reported to be no more than half-full. Hundreds of immigrant rights advocates rallied and marched from the Texas Capitol through downtown Austin.

Supporters of the Day Without Immigrants rally encouraged immigrants and their supporters to stay home from school and work on Thursday to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and way of life.

The nationwide rally was created in response to President Donald Trump, whose administration has pledged to increase the deportation of immigrants living in the country illegally. Trump campaigned on building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and blamed high unemployment on immigration.