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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A North Carolina high school valedictorian's speech was cut short after she criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during her remarks.
Video posted by local news outlet CBS 17 and on social media showed Leen Hijaz addressing Clayton High School’s class of 2026 during the school’s commencement ceremony on May 28.
But moments after she spoke about families "being torn apart" by ICE, the school’s principal, Melissa Moore Hubbard, can be seen taking Hijaz's arm and moving her away from the microphone.
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The remarks come as President Donald Trump's administration is facing ongoing scrutiny over its aggressive immigration crackdown, including over children being separated from their parents and over conditions in immigration detention facilities nationwide.
Johnston County Public Schools said in a statement to CBS 17 that Hijaz had departed from remarks that had been approved in advance and that school administrators had intervened to ensure "a school-sponsored event remained consistent with its intended purpose."
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What Leen Hijaz Said
"Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say. Every single person here has a voice," Hijaz said, according to video posted by CBS 17 and by Hijaz on Instagram.
"We are we are privileged to have the freedom to use it when so many people around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard.
"Whether it’s the million suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan, and so many other countries around the world, these are the families being torn apart by ICE. These are not distant issues, they are happening right now as I speak."
Leen Hijaz Speaks Out
In a TikTok video posted over the weekend, Hijaz said that as soon as she deviated from the approved remarks, she could hear the principal yelling at her.
"That's why I kept on stuttering, because she was making me so uncomfortable," she said. "The adrenaline in me just kept me going, and she, she let me say about half of it, and then she came up to me, shoved me—you guys can literally see it in the video—and she's like, ‘if you don't stop speaking right now, you're not graduating.’"
The below video has strong language
She said the principal informed her after the ceremony that her diploma was being withheld.
"She tells me, 'you're getting your diploma withheld’…When she told me that I was making it about myself, I told her I was like, I sat here and I spoke up for all of the people in my country and all the other countries able to graduate."
She also said that she had to spend months fighting for the opportunity to speak at the ceremony despite being valedictorian.
"It did take me a lot of fighting to get on that stage, and I'm so glad that I was able to go on that stage and speak, because the only reason why I wanted to go on that stage was because I wanted to say something," she said.
She said she did not include the remarks in the version of her speech that was submitted for approval in advance because she knew it would be "immediately" rejected, citing her personal experiences of racism as a Muslim Arab student.
In another video posted on Thursday, Hijaz said she has now received her diploma.
"Thank you all for all the kind words, all the support, all the people who put pressure on the county. That means a lot to me, because without you guys, I wouldn't have been able to get my diploma," she said.
She also called on her supporters to refrain from targeting those involved in the incident.
"If you guys are spreading hate towards anybody, don't do that, like I understand if they didn't act the way that they should have acted, but it's not an excuse for us to go hating on them," she said. "The purpose of everything was to spread awareness and nothing else."
She added: "I know I did get a lot of backlash, but I do still stand on my word. I do still think everybody should be speaking up, because it does pay off in the end."
What the School District Has Said
Johnston County Public Schools said student commencement remarks are reviewed in advance to ensure they align with the purpose of the ceremony.
In a statement to CBS 17, the district said administrators intervened after Hijaz departed from her approved speech.
"During this year’s Clayton High School graduation, a student departed from her approved remarks. School administrators intervened in order to maintain the integrity and focus of the program in real time," the statement said.
The district said the decision was "not about limiting a student’s voice," but ensuring the ceremony remained "consistent with its intended purpose." It added that the district supports student expression, while maintaining expectations for school-sponsored events.
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