Billings immigrant rights activists march on city council demanding a sanctuary city
Billings, MT – On August 23 and 24, the Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights (BAIR) held protests in downtown Billings outside of the ICE field office. These protests came after the revelation that federal immigration agents had, the week before, used the local United Way’s backpack drive as a staging ground to kidnap members of two immigrant families.
On August 11, father Adrián Espinoza De La Cruz and his nine-year-old daughter were detained by ICE agents immediately after leaving the United Way parking lot and taken to a detention facility in Havre, Montana. The United Way learned of a second detention the next day, involving another family that attended the event. The families were released after being held for a little over a week.
On the first day of protest, BAIR rallied outside of the ICE field office in downtown Billings, where protesters chanted, “ICE out now!” On Monday, August 24, BAIR gathered outside of the ICE field office again and then marched towards Billings City Hall. Marchers chanted the demand, “Sanctuary city now!”
By the time the march reached city hall, the group was at least 16 people strong. Community members filed into the meeting, making Mayor Mike Nelson and other council members visibly uncomfortable. The allotted time for community members to comment on “non-agenda items” was not until the end of the meeting. Because of the urgency of the issue, BAIR disrupted the council’s agenda, submitting comments on a sanctuary city ahead of the allotted time.
Lain Dorsey, a member of BAIR and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), stated, “A nine-year-old girl was kidnapped by ICE and you still will not put a sanctuary city on the agenda!”
Mayor Nelson attempted to interrupt Dorsey, banging his gavel. When Dorsey did not relent, the council had her microphone muted. In spite of this, Dorsey and other BAIR members chanted loudly in the council chambers, bringing the meeting to a halt. “Mayor Nelson, shame on you! Immigrant lives matter too!” rang out in the chambers, causing council members to quickly move to take a recess.
During recess, the activists were approached by members of the city administration, including Mayor Mike Nelson. Nelson told BAIR to “go through the proper forums” to get an item on the council agenda but refused to explain what those forums were. Interim city administrator Kevin Iffland demanded that Lain Dorsey leave the council chambers, but Dorsey refused, instead returning to her seat.
When the non-agenda public comment section took place, city council member Scott Aspenlieder left the meeting, not interested in hearing more BAIR members speak.
Local public school teacher Tessa Miller scolded the council, “The problem is that kids are getting kidnapped at a backpack drive and no one seems to care, you guys just twiddle your thumbs and laugh to the side.”
After Miller’s comment, City Council Member Bill Kennedy was determined to tone-police the protesters and threatened to leave the meeting if there was not “a cordial speaking to the council.” However, the activists continued to give confrontational public comments, with Kennedy leaving after he had had enough.
Throughout the meeting, a racist man attempted to threaten and intimidate BAIR members. The man held a target practice paper near the activists, which they interpreted as a violent threat. As Lain Dorsey gave her initial comment, the racist man stood directly behind her and gestured toward Billings police officers, mimicking what looked like a chokehold.
Despite this threatening behavior being clearly visible to Mayor Nelson and the rest of council, nothing was said to condemn it. Instead, Nelson chose to continue imposing rules limiting the speech of BAIR activists. After the meeting adjourned, BAIR rallied outside of city hall.
Lain Dorsey, leading the rally, stated, “We show up voicing anti-racist, pro-immigrant demands and get silenced for it. Meanwhile, a racist can threaten us, and Mayor Nelson says nothing!”