Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are continuing across the Triangle this week following the fatal shooting Wednesday of a woman in Minnesota during an immigration enforcement operation. The killing — and another shooting Thursday in Portland that left two wounded — have also ramped up worries among immigrants, causing some to stay home, according to some local business owners.
Residents in Durham gathered for another night of protests on Friday, with more than 100 people marching from CCB Plaza through downtown. It was the second night in a row that Durham residents protested and marched through the city.
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On Saturday morning, another crowd of hundreds gathered for a protest and marched from the plaza to the Durham Farmers Market.
On Friday, some protesters marched for more than an hour were seen setting off fireworks in the street as the marched through downtown. A protester was also seen spray painting “Every pig is ICE” on the side of a building. Police reported minor property damage.
Adali Abeldanez, the owner of Moroleon Supermarket in Durham, which caters to Hispanic customers, said fear is impacting daily life and local businesses, including his own. “People are still stressed and worried," he said.
Abeldanez has seen a noticeable change in customer behavior since ICE operations intensified in recent months. While his store has offered delivery services for years, he noticed requests surged in November, when ICE had increased enforcement in the state.
Some customers are afraid to leave their homes and are relying on organized deliveries instead, he said. Abeldanez said his wife is undocumented and frightened, a feeling he said is widely shared in the immigrant community.
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement across the country in recent months, making good on promises made on the campaign trail.
His administration has used a variety of methods to remove people from the country, including through a visa ban on applications for immigrants from some countries and deploying ICE agents in U.S. cities to track down immigrants who are in the country illegally.
Enforcement by ICE, which is overseen by the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security, has drawn criticism from opponents who see their tactics as heavy-handed. The incidents in Minnesota and Oregon have amped up scrutiny to the operations.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem defended the efforts, saying agents were acting in self-defense. “We are just enforcing laws in this country,” she said Wednesday at a press conference in Minneapolis, where Renee Good was shot and killed in her car by a federal immigration agent.
The administration contends that Good tried to run over an officer with her vehicle, a characterization of the event that some state and local officials have rejected. The incident remains under investigation.
Abeldanez is among the critics of ICE. He thinks ICE agents need more training and greater accountability, particularly after the fatal incident this week.
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“They’re dealing with people — human beings. It’s life,” he said. “The law should be enforced, but obviously with due process and taking into consideration humanity, being humane.”
He also criticized what he described as racial profiling; he alleged that agents approach people in public spaces based on appearance rather than targeted investigations.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has also raised concerns about ICE’s tactics. In November, as ICE increased enforcement in the state, Stein said at a news conference that the agency was “not promoting safety in our communities.
“We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers,” Stein, a Democrat, said in a separate statement in November. “Unfortunately, that’s not always what we have seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere around the country.”
Abeldanez said he felt encouraged by this week’s protests. “As long as it’s something peaceful, I feel proud,” he said. “Seeing people protest in favor of protecting the immigrant community — I think that’s awesome.”
Matt Mercer, communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party, said some of the protests nationwide have amounted to attempts to obstruct federal law enforcement.
“If you wish to protest, do that in ways you can traditionally protest,” Mercer said. “Surrounding agents, obstructing vehicles or creating chaos is not legitimate protest.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
