Hundreds of Van Nuys High School students walk out in protest of Trump immigration policies

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Hundreds of students at Van Nuys High School walked out of class Thursday to protest the immigration policies under the Trump administration.

Shortly before 11 a.m., the group calmly exited the campus and marched down Van Nuys Boulevard toward Van Nuys City Hall.

The orderly walkout was carried out as Los Angeles police officers, to L.A. school police and some faculty members made sure they stayed on the sidewalk.

The protests have gained momentum on social media with the hashtags #BuildTheResistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests in 50 states in one day.

One student who participated explained why it was important.

"It's really important because they are taking people who are actually paying taxes, are making a difference and actually doing what's right..," she told Eyewitness News.

"They come here so that we can make America better than it is. (Without) immigrants, we'd be doing work that other people don't want to do," she added.

The students are expected to be at city hall all day to continue voicing their concerns and protesting the immigration policies.

This comes on the heels of several other protests across Southern California calling for immigrant rights.