Protesters gathered Saturday to make their presence known after increased activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was witnessed across Indianapolis this past week. They met near the federal agency's west side office.
The weekend protest followed two other demonstrations held at a hotel less than half a mile from the ICE office.
The increased ICE activity seen in Indianapolis coincides with a record-high number of arrests made by ICE in July, nearly 50,000 across the country, according to data gathered by the Deportation Data Project based at U.C. Berkeley and UCLA.
An unidentified spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not answer questions sent by WFYI asking for the number of arrests made in Indiana this past week, or provide confirmation of increased enforcement operations in Indianapolis. They did reiterate their goal, at the directive of President Donald Trump, to deport criminals and anyone who entered the country illegally.
Saturday's demonstration at the ICE office attracted over 100 protesters who oppose the influx of arrests and detainments witnessed through social media posts.
ICE agents and other law enforcement have been seen making arrests in residential neighborhoods, gas stations and other areas across the city.
Jesus Ramirez has been a community organizer and activist fighting for immigrants' rights in Indiana for years. He said a few concerned individuals organized Saturday's protest, not a single organization.
"It's one of those things where as long as [ICE is] going to continue terrorizing our people, we're going to continue to be in front of your building, being as loud as we possibly can to let you know that we're not moving," Ramirez told WFYI.
Ramirez said he knows some of the individuals recently arrested or detained by ICE. He believes the arrests have been racially motivated and that the agency is no longer focused on getting "the worst of the worst."
"The collateral damage that we're seeing is bigger than if they're going for one person supposedly with a warrant, and there's six other people around that have nothing to do with it," Ramirez said. "They're getting dragged along with no due process."
Ramirez said he's spoken with families who said they're afraid to get groceries or send their kids to school.
An analysis done by the New York Times on ICE arrests found that a majority of immigrants arrested in July had not been charged with or convicted of a crime, but were accused of violating civil immigration laws.
Noise protests
On Thursday evening people arrived at a Hampton Inn, less than half a mile away from Indianapolis' west side ICE office, where organizers believed ICE agents were staying as guests.
"It's a noise rally, basically, to make sure that they feel very unwelcome, that they feel very uncomfortable, and that they don't have a moment of peace while they're here terrorizing Indianapolis residents," organizer Stephen Lane, who is with the Indianapolis Party for Socialism and Liberation, told WFYI at the protest.
WFYI did not confirm whether ICE agents stayed at the hotel or not.
After the sun set, over 50 people were spread across the lawn in front of the hotel lobby. Organizers with megaphones led the demonstration in chants, including "ICE out now!" and "Chinga la migra!" Some had musical instruments — horns, a trombone and a saxophone — and played a beat on makeshift drums and bells.
Lane said he's been checking on immigrant residents he knows in Indianapolis since arrest reports picked up.
"To see that they have to go through this, these raids in our communities, in our neighborhoods — it makes me sick seeing it happen all over the internet. I know that some people are hiding their immigrant neighbors in their house, like this is 1945 Germany," Lane said. "It's ridiculous."
Some honked their cars while parked across the street. Others revved engines in the hotel parking lot. Semi-trucks and cars honked as they passed.
An officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was dispatched to the hotel. Later, more IMPD officers arrived, Lane told WFYI. He said they told protesters the hotel wanted them to leave, and that they would violate a noise ordinance after 11 p.m. Lane said they decided to go home, then Friday morning around 6 a.m., a smaller crew set up across the street.
At the protest at the ICE office Saturday, Angelica Rabell said she felt like she needed to come because of the way she's seen ICE officers treat immigrants, including legal citizens.
"Not only that, they had deported two people that I've known very close to me without any reason, and they also invaded the personal space of my own family members a few days ago," Rabell said.
She said everything she's seen in the past week has made her feel frustrated, and worried for those who don't yet have full legal status. Rabell held a sign that read "no one deserves to die at the hands of ICE."
Contact WFYI Government Reporter Caroline Beck at cbeck@wfyi.org
Contact WFYI Data Journalist Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org
