But they were surprised when non-Latinos, especially their principal, Paul Schulte, supported them in their efforts to protest federal immigration legislation during a short rally that drew about 250 students Tuesday.

"It shows he's for Latinos," De La Pena said of Schulte. "It shows we're not alone in this country. It shows that not all white people are racists."

De La Pena was one of tens of thousands of students in states including California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas who rallied against toughening immigration laws Tuesday, a day after similar demonstrations nationwide.

The immigration issue has prompted some of the most significant demonstrations in more than a decade, energizing students on an issue that directly affects 90,000 undocumented immigrants in Utah and 11 million nationwide, according to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center.

But immigration also has become a significant political issue in an election year because of widespread support for cracking down on the flood of people who have come over U.S. borders without legal status in recent years.

In California, thousands of students took to the streets again Tuesday, but authorities tightened control by thwarting efforts to block freeway traffic, rounding up some youngsters and issuing truancy citations.

Youths waving Mexican flags and wearing white T-shirts marched for a second day in Los Angeles County, and school walkouts were reported in San Diego, Riverside and Fresno counties, and in Las Vegas and Texas.

The Los Angeles County teens rallied despite rain and campus lockdowns, but their numbers were far smaller than the tens of thousands who marched Monday. Police elsewhere issued 100 truancy citations to students.

In Arizona, police estimated 1,000 students held up traffic along several Phoenix streets as they made their way to the Capitol. Some were packed into cars and the backs of pickup trucks, some with Mexican flags flying from their windows. Marchers screamed and chanted, ''Viva Mexico.''

Fernando Frias doesn't know much about the proposed legislation, and until recently, he had never imagined joining a protest. But now, the Highland sophomore says he will do whatever it takes so he and his family do not become felons for living in Utah without proper documentation.

"I have the desire to stop this in this state," he said in Spanish after the Highland rally.

The U.S. House in December passed HR4437, which would boost border security and strengthen enforcement of immigration laws, making it a felony to be in the United States without proper documentation. Utah's three House members voted for the bill. That bill goes to the Senate for consideration there, but the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed its own immigration bill under which some illegal immigrants could receive legal, permanent residence. It also establishes a guest-worker program.

Frias, who moved here from Mexico four years ago, said he can't understand why the United States would want to prosecute him, a child of undocumented parents, who had no choice but to come here.

"How would they liked to be prejudged for something they haven't done?" he said of U.S. lawmakers. "They should put themselves in my shoes."

Ivan Chavarria, who moved from Mexico to Utah six years ago, said he walked out of class because he's tired of Latinos - with or without proper papers - being treated like second-class citizens.

"We're good people trying to be successful," he said.

At Highland, Schulte said he'd never experienced a student walkout in 20 years as an educator until Tuesday.

After a teacher informed Schulte about the walkout, he immediately sent teachers an e-mail giving students permission to leave class. Within five minutes, he was compromising with about 50 students in the school's parking lot. The deal? The students could peacefully protest in the area for about an hour and then return to class. Students said they thought it was fair and agreed.

Jennifer Zuelli, a Highland junior, was one of them. She had heard from friends about the West High School rally on Monday, when some 400 people, mostly Latino students, marched in front of the campus in downtown Salt Lake City.

So when friends told her Tuesday morning about a similar walkout at Highland, where minorities make up 40 percent of the student body, she was in.

Zuelli, who is a documented U.S. resident of four years, said she's getting involved in the immigration issue because even though she has "papers," it will affect some of her relatives and friends.

"I don't want people to discriminate against Latinos who don't have papers," she said.

Zuelli said she and her friends plan to participate in the pro-immigration march scheduled for April 9 in Salt Lake City.

Rodrigo Uribe, a Highland senior, said he walked out of U.S. government class to support his Latino peers, but he wants to know more about the issues to get more student support.

"If we're going to walk out, we have to make it bigger," he said.

Schulte said none of the Highland students received disciplinary action. Nor was anyone hurt or arrested.

He said the student walkout as well as the immigration issue and national marches are good educational experiences. "This is a great opportunity to get kids engaged in learning," he said. "It's a great way to motivate them."

jsanchez@sltrib.com

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.