JEFFERSON CITY — More than 100 people marched eight blocks through Jefferson City on Sunday to protest what organizers describe as ongoing harm caused by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Border Patrol agents nationwide.
The silent march was organized by We Stand United Missouri and began and ended at the Cole County Courthouse.
Sue Rogers, a spokesperson for WSUM, said Sunday's march in particular was held in solidarity, pushing back against the murder of Renée Good, Alex Pretti and others during recent federal immigration enforcement actions.
"We are out here because people from all walks of life in the United States are very upset about all of the stuff that's going on with the immigration patrols and people being murdered in Minneapolis and the attempts to take away voting rights," Rogers said. "I mean, all of these different actions by the current administration, we are all worried about actually holding and defending our democracy."
The Jefferson City march is one of several held across the country following two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Good, a 37-year-old woman, was shot and killed by an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation on January 7. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was fatally shot by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during another operation on January 24.
These shootings have ignited national protests, calls for investigations and scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement practices. Following Pretti’s death, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation to determine whether excessive force was used.
Marchers walked silently through downtown Jefferson City while holding signs. Organizers stationed crossing guards along the route to ensure traffic was not disrupted.
"Everybody have a chance to honor those people and mourn the ones that have been lost so far. It's be a silent march showing solidarity and peace," Rogers said. "We are peaceful, nonpartisan, but when these actions by the government, then we're here saying, no, this is not right. This is not how we do it here."
Despite cold temperatures, organizers said turnout was strong.
"It's a really cold day to be out here. So I give a lot of credit to anybody who comes." Rogers said. "So as citizens, we're saying, no, enough. This isn't right. This is not what America is supposed to be."
Organizers also used the event to encourage civic engagement.
"Please encourage people to exercise their right to vote, pay attention to what's going on," Rogers said. "Your vote is your superpower and you have a right to it."
