GREAT FALLS — This week, a group of demonstrators gathered outside the Missouri River Federal Courthouse in Great Falls, holding signs and chanting slogans critical of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as previous federal immigration enforcement activities.
The demonstration coincides with increasing public attention on ICE following a deadly shooting by an ICE agent earlier this month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That incident spurred protests around the country and fueled debate about immigration enforcement, policing, and accountability.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video here:
"The foreign armed invasion of Venezuela, everything that the Trump administration is out here doing and causing," said Dylan Kunz, who helped organize the Great Falls rally.
Kunz, a Havre native, believes that protesting is both a Constitutional right and a civic responsibility. He became politically active while still in high school, during Montana's 2024 abortion rights ballot issue, and credits that experience with helping him find his voice in community organizing.
"I had personal family members involved and a personal tie to it," says Kunz. "I really found my role in getting youth activated in the environment and in the community."
While ICE protests are not uncommon in the United States, organizers claimed the Minneapolis tragedy added urgency to their message.
Demonstrators in Great Falls emphasized that national events have local impacts, even if they do not receive the same level of media attention.
"We're seeing it, just because it's not as televised as what's happening in Minnesota doesn't mean it isn't affecting our communities right now," Kunz said.
The group then marched through downtown Great Falls, stopping near the offices of U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy to express their concerns.
MTN News attempted to contact ICE and Senator Sheehy for comment, but have not yet received a response.
In a statement, Senator Daines' office said that he believes "one of the most noble jobs in America is serving as a law enforcement officer, and they should be respected, not vilified."
Many protesters saw the rally as an opportunity to maintain momentum and civic engagement during a politically charged time.
"I've talked to several people today, and they said, 'I just lost hope,'" said Gerry Jennings. "And I said, 'You can't lose hope, because then we lose.' "So we need to participate. We need to be involved."
Similar demonstrations have occurred around Montana and the country in recent weeks, including a vigil in Missoula to remember the Minneapolis shooting victim.
Protesters in Great Falls said they intend to keep organizing locally as national discussions about immigration enforcement continue.
