Billings, MT activists attend city council meeting to demand a sanctuary city
By Homa Masood and staff
On Monday, July 20, the Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights (BAIR) rallied outside of Billings City Hall to demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastián Guerrero, two fathers from Texas and Maine who were murdered by ICE agents within the last two weeks. To prevent similar ICE violence in Billings, BAIR demanded city council pass an ordinance declaring Billings a sanctuary city.
The action also came during a period of heightened concern over immigration enforcement in Montana, after ICE raids and at least 100 detentions in Gallatin County, Montana earlier this month. The growing presence of ICE has intensified fear within immigrant communities across the state and has made local action to protect residents increasingly urgent.
After rallying outside city hall, participants entered the council chambers to deliver public comment at the city council meeting. Six community members attended the public comment period, carrying signs that read, “Justice for Lorenzo,” “Justice for Joan Sebastián Guerrero” and “Sanctuary city now!”
Before the meeting began, Billings Mayor Mike Nelson approached BAIR members and stated, “Signs are allowed, as long as they're not a distraction.” Nelson directed the activists to place the signs at their feet, so that they would not be visible in the meeting’s livestream video. The activists left their signs at their feet until the meeting started and lifted them to their laps once public comment began.
Lain Dorsey, an organizer with BAIR, set the tone of the meeting. “Lorenzo and Joan were fathers who were murdered by ICE. Nothing we say or do can bring these men back. But the city council can take action to prevent ICE from killing in Billings.”
Dorsey continued, speaking on the ICE raids in Gallatin County. “This mass kidnapping campaign took place just two hours away from us and somehow Mayor Nelson and the council cannot see how pressing this issue is! It's in our backyard!”
Tessa Miller, a mother and Billings Public Schools teacher, spoke on her fear of one of her students’ parents getting taken by ICE. Miller also stated, “as Montanans we have been taught to serve and welcome people to our state. I ask the council to stick up for Montana and our values.”
BAIR member Brooke Lynn spoke in support of a sanctuary city, “Most Montanans know that what's going on is not right. In school, you see a picture of the globe and everyone holding hands from around the world. That's not what's happening. I want to make sure that the city is safe for when my son is older.”
Since June, BAIR has emailed Mayor Nelson and the ten other members of council five times to request a meeting discussing this issue but has received no response. Monday’s demonstration was intended to bring those concerns directly before elected officials and encourage public accountability.
Mindy Nielsen, a member of BAIR and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) used her public comment to get a commitment to a meeting with the mayor stating, “Mayor, are you going to be able to get back to us?”
“This part of the meeting is for you to comment. It's not a back-and-forth,” Mayor Nelson cowered.
“How do we know you are ever going to respond? How do we get help with this?” Nielsen questioned. The entire council remained dead silent. “I think that's pretty shameful,” Nielsen stated.
The Billings Alliance for Immigrant Rights will continue organizing until city leaders take concrete steps to protect community members from federal immigration enforcement. To join the fight, attend a BAIR planning meeting, held every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Billings Public Library large conference room.