SUSSEX COUNTY -- A "Day Without Immigrants" protest was held nationwide Monday, with some businesses, restaurants, and community members on Delmarva getting involved to show support for local immigrant communities.
Some neighbors who participated in the movement told us it encourages people to shop local, take the day off school, and take the day off work. They also said the protest is in response to recent immigration polices from the Trump administration.
Officials from the Indian River School District said they had a 30% absentee rate, with some schools around the Georgetown area reaching roughly 40%. They said that rate is much higher than normal.
WBOC spoke with a group of teachers from another public school in Sussex County who took the day off in solidarity.
"We wanna make sure that people know that we are here, we are with them, and we were them," Isana Ventura, one of those teachers, said. "We look in our classrooms, we look in our community, and it's filled with diversity."
Ventura said her family immigrated to the United States from Guatemala.
"People don't come here because 'hey we wanna go take a vacation." Ventura said. "It wasn't by choice, it was because it was a life or death situation. And I think we need to understand that and get to know our neighbors' story before labeling everyone as a criminal."
Karent Diaz Rios, another Sussex County teacher who immigrated from Colombia, told WBOC she also stayed home today.
"So that we stop for a minute and think about how much we get from immigrants," Diaz Rios said. "We are givers, we are not takers. We contribute."
Diaz Rios said she hopes this is a wake-up call for the United States.
"The United States is a country made of and built by immigrants," Diaz Rios said.