GASTONIA, N.C. โ Protesters in Gastonia made their voices heard Wednesday afternoon, calling for new restrictions on federal immigration enforcement as Congress prepares to vote on a Department of Homeland Security funding bill.
The protest was organized by Indivisible Gaston outside Congressman Tim Mooreโs office. Demonstrators say they want Moore to require โguardrailsโ on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity before approving any DHS spending.
โWe really need restrictions on ICE activity in order to approve any DHS funding bill,โ said Jackie Radford, a community organizer with Indivisible Gaston.
Protesters held signs and chanted about why they believe stricter oversight of ICE is necessary. Many voiced concerns about tactics they say have gone too far.
โWe need no masks. We need them to obey the Constitution,” Radford added. “You cannot detain U.S. citizens without due process, you cannot knock down doors, you cannot teargas peaceful protestors or people who are just observing and filming.”
Some demonstrators also went inside Mooreโs office to hand-deliver letters outlining their demands.
โWeโre very concerned about whatโs going on in Minneapolis. They did a brief surge of Border Patrol in Charlotte and that spilled over to Gastonia. Weโre concerned that there are rumors that theyโll be back,โ explained protester Ann Doss Helms.
Another protester encouraged civic engagement as part of the demonstration. โEarly voting starts tomorrow. Vote. I hope people just wake up and vote,โ said Linda Burke.
The protest comes as a new NBC News pollย shows growing public disapproval of ICE, with nearly three-quarters of adults saying they want the agency reformed or abolished.
Organizers say todayโs protest is only the beginning.ย
“Hopefully, we get what we want. If we donโt, we continue to protest. Weโre not stopping,โ Radford said.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to Congressman Mooreโs office for comment, but did not receive a response.
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Download WCNC+ on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or Samsung device, and stream the news that impacts you for free.
