Photo by Samantha Davis Gerald Gerdes (front left) helps lead a group of protesters as they walk along Main Street in Marshall Tuesday afternoon.

MARSHALL — A group of community members gathered together and walked along Main Street in Marshall Tuesday afternoon in protest of the recent United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity taking place.

Current Marshall resident and Minneapolis native Gerald Gerdes organized the Tuesday protest, and also took a recent visit back to Minneapolis last week where there has been heightened ongoing ICE operations.

“I went because it’s my hometown. I have family there. Friends and family (that are) immigrants. I’m just sick of watching them (federal law enforcement) terrorize people,” Gerdes said. “It’s just not something that I stand for, and I am going to continue to keep going up there as much as I can, as well as doing stuff around here.”

The group of around 10 people made their way down Main Street holding signs. There were also residents from the Montevideo, Hanley Falls and Hendricks areas that participated.

According to the Associated Press, ICE, a Department of Homeland Security agency, sent 2,000 officers and agents to the Minneapolis area earlier this month.

As of Tuesday evening, Marshall Public Safety Director Jim Marshall had not responded to phone messages asking if local law enforcement could confirm reports of ICE activity in Marshall. Lyon County Sheriff Eric Wallen said he had been told by MPD that ICE had informed the police department they were going to be in the area. However, Wallen said he did not know more details. He said the Sheriff’s Office had not been contacted by ICE, that he was aware of.

Protests, walkouts and demonstrations have taken place across the Twin Cities and metro in recent weeks.

“This past year has been my first (time participating in protests) … With this regime, I’m like, ‘I’ve got to do something for my kids and my grandkids,’ ” said Lori Stevens, a protest participant from Hanley Falls. “Right now, I think we need a lot of people on our home turf … It’s happening in our small towns. So, we (we should) protect our small towns, too.”

A pair of friends, Katherine Lopez and Jacqueline Menjivar, also participated in the Tuesday Marshall protest.

“It is my first protest … I wanted to be a part of it,” Menjivar said. “I come from a Hispanic, Mexican and Honduras family. I want to be able to stand up for those who can’t.”

Lopez, citing that she’s a child of immigrants, said she’s participated in protests before, during her time in high school. She walked on Tuesday with the Mexican flag wrapped around her.

The group stopped to stand at the corner of Memorial Park to end their route.

“The reason, I think for (participating in) this, is because I have a cousin that was adopted, she’s from Colombia. I have another cousin adopted from Mexico,” Stevens said. “They’re people. They just want to do what we want.”

Stevens said she also participated in some protests over the summer in Minneapolis.

“It was peaceful, people were just talking. We were listening to speakers, and I didn’t see any negative about it,” Stevens said. “The main thing with protesting is don’t react to other people. They still have their constitutional rights, they still have their opinions … It’s just like, ‘We love you. Thank you.'”

Gerdes noted there may be more protests for the area organized in the future as well.

“I am absolutely 100% OK if they (federal law enforcement) go about it constitutionally. Like, anybody in our cities, our towns, our states, our nation, if they’re criminals, do it constitutionally,” Stevens said. “But, don’t target people with dark skin. Target all of the criminals … The constitution said we all have a right.”

— Deb Gau contributed

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