Haskell students lead “ICE Out” protest in response to detainments and concerns of profiling
Following the alleged assault of an Indigenous woman by an officer while documenting a targeted ICE operation last Tuesday, concerns are growing within Lawrence’s Native American community. Hundreds of Lawrence residents gathered in South Park on Feb. 20 for an “ICE Out” protest organized by Haskell Indian Nations University students.
The demonstration comes after the detainment of five Lawrence community members during last week’s operation, according to Sanctuary Alliance advocates. For many protesters, the arrests and alleged assault raised concerns about possible patterns in enforcement.
“If they target everyone that looks a certain way, then everyone that is following them and believing what they’re believing is going to be like ‘Oh, we need to implement this, we need to treat these people the same way.’” Haskell student Nola Levings said.
At the heart of the protest was a message repeated on posters: “No one is illegal on stolen land.” This phrase reflects the belief that immigration restrictions and debates cannot be separated from the history of colonization in the United States.
“People came and stole our land,” Haskell student Isabella Rudisill said. “So, for them to say that that’s their land and then they can’t have illegals come in or just foreign people, that’s kind of like a hypocrite thing.”
Students also used the protest to call for stronger communication between the Native American community and local law enforcement and policymakers. Levings said she feels that Indigenous issues are often put on the back burner, and that her community deserves a seat at the table when policies are discussed and implemented.
“I think as Native people we have a place here in this community,” Levings said. “Law enforcement should know that they should be coming to us and asking us, you know, ‘What can we do about this? What policies can we implement? How can we make changes through lobbying?’”
While immigration enforcement was the catalyst for the protest, the demonstration represented more than just that. It was about civil rights, visibility and the right to exist without fear of harassment.
“If this is the land of the free, how come we’re the ones that are being harassed?” Haskell student Owen Mann said. “This is a land of freedom, but we don’t have freedom anymore now. We’re being harassed on the streets, they’re asking us questions that we don’t have to answer.”
Haskell students and Lawrence residents plan to continue demonstrating every Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. at Ninth and Massachusetts streets. To learn more about recommendations for encountering ICE, visit the National Immigration Justice Center website.
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