LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Amid chilly rain and gusty winds, around 20 masked protesters gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security facility at 4501 E. Roosevelt Road, near Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, to denounce Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics and call for sanctuary city protections in Arkansas.
Organized by the Central Arkansas Democratic Socialists of America (CADSA), the nonviolent demonstration focused on opposition to ICE’s enforcement methods, including what participants described as aggressive detentions and deportations. Protesters held signs reading “No hate, no fear, ICE has no business here” and chanted slogans like “Chinga la migra” – a Spanish phrase rejecting immigration enforcement – while standing across the street from the building.
Greg Moore, a CADSA spokesman and marshal for the event, said the group timed the protest for around 3 p.m., when buses typically arrive to transport detained immigrants. “I’m someone who sees the best in people,” Moore told reporters. “We hoped to talk to the ICE agents and possibly reach their conscience.” About 30 minutes in, as a group of shackled individuals boarded a bus, demonstrators shouted “shame” and “no fascist USA.”
CADSA’s broader demands include declaring Little Rock and other Arkansas cities as sanctuary spaces safe for immigrants, along with greater accountability for ICE. The protest also tied into the ongoing federal government shutdown, with some participants urging prioritization of social welfare programs like SNAP over immigration enforcement.
Kimberly Hernandez, a Little Rock resident at the rally, cited a sense of community duty as her motivation. “This is about standing up for our neighbors,” she said. Matthew Bryant, pastor at Community of Christ Church in North Little Rock, attended based on his Christian beliefs, emphasizing compassion for the vulnerable.
No arrests or confrontations with law enforcement were reported during the event, which remained peaceful despite the weather. The demonstration echoes a pattern of anti-ICE actions in Arkansas, including an August rally at Little Rock City Hall organized by progressive groups like Taste of Olam Haba, which urged local resistance to deportation efforts.
As the group dispersed after about an hour, Moore reiterated their message: “We’re here to show solidarity and push back against policies that tear families apart.” CADSA plans to continue advocacy through community forums and further actions in the coming weeks.
