Over the past few weeks, national concerns over the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been heightened after federal agents fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good on Jan. 4 and U.S. citizen Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis.

Carbondale community members took to the town square on Friday, Jan. 30, as part of a national strike, and voiced their disgruntlement.

In the wake of Pretti’s death, the Trump administration has gone back and forth on some of their statements regarding ICE’s behavior in Minneapolis.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Control commander stationed in Minneapolis when Good and Pretti were killed, has been reassigned and removed from his position in Minneapolis.

However, members of the Trump administration like the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated in the wake of the shooting that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist.”

While the fatal shootings of Pretti and Good are at the forefront of national conversation, they are only one result of ICE and the federal government’s crackdown on immigrants. In Columbia Heights, a Minneapolis suburb, there are cases of children being taken into custody by ICE and not returned to their families, such as Liam Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was taken alongside his father after he picked up his son from school on Jan. 20. 

Later, on Jan. 31, a federal judge from Texas, Fred Biery, ruled that Ramos and his father could not be detained. Biery ordered that the United States government release them by Tuesday, Feb. 3.

On Feb. 1, the father and son were released from custody and have returned home to Minnesota.

50101, a national organization, issued a release calling for an “ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action” on Jan. 31 as a follow-up to the national strike on Jan. 30 in which, the release states, “everyday Americans are coming together to demand the immediate and permanent removal of ICE, DHS, CBP from communities at over 300 events nationwide.”

Protesters in Carbondale brought drums and chanted “No Trump, no troops, Carbondale ain’t licking boots.” As people passed by, some honked in support while others hurled insults.

Alongside Carbondale’s Town Square Pavilion, a message was written in the week-old snow, “Amor vincit omnia,” or the Latin phrase, “Love conquers all.” 

Sarah, a Carbondale community member who did not share her last name, said she has a friend in Minneapolis who had taken out a life insurance policy out of fear that she would be killed by ICE agents at a protest. 

“People don’t realize that what ICE is doing can happen here,” she said. “To our sisters and brothers and neighbors. We need to have more empathy and compassion for each other.”

When asked about her reasons for attending the protests, Sarah replied, “How much time do you have?”

While Minneapolis seems to be ground zero for the ICE crackdown, ICE has been operating all over the country for months. The fear that a city close to home might become the next Minneapolis is a growing concern for many.

“It’s extremely important that I show up for my community and my family, and to show my kids that it’s OK to do these things and silence is not an option,” Abby Cullum, a Carbondale resident, said. “It’s heartbreaking that something as simple as human rights is becoming something people are afraid of. Don’t be afraid to live your life and be who you are.” 

Cali Roy and Audrey Kinser are SIU students that came to the protest together.

“I love immigrants, I love this country and I love being a woman,” Roy said. “With everything going on right now — what can you do? Anything we can do we’ll try to do.”

Kinser said, “We all see the videos and stuff, everything is blasted — I don’t think anyone should be treated the way ICE has been treating people.”

Another SIU student, Shayne, who preferred not to share her last name, said, “If they want people to come legally, they should make the process easier.”

Editor’s Note: In an earlier version, the Daily Egyptian quoted sources that did not give permission to be referenced by their full names. The sections have since been removed. The Daily Egyptian regrets this mistake. 

This story was updated to include information about the release of five-year-old Liam Ramos from immigration custody in Minnesota. Information about the federal agents who shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti was also updated. 

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