TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Roughly 200 people gathered at 5-Points in Twin Falls on Sunday to protest a second shooting death by federal agents in Minneapolis, standing in solidarity with communities across the nation expressing concern about federal immigration enforcement.
WATCH | Twin Falls residents protest shooting in Minneapolis with solidarity rally—
The Saturday shooting in Minneapolis has sparked protests nationwide, with demonstrators voicing fears about the future.
"It's only a matter of time before they come to our streets, and if we don't speak up now, then it's going to be too late," one protester said.
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Another demonstrator expressed broader concerns about the current political climate.
"The series of events that led to where we're at now have caused me to fear for the future of our country and for the future, for my children and their safety," the protester said.
For Yessica, a Twin Falls resident with Hispanic heritage, Sunday's gathering marked her third local ICE protest. As the wife of a U.S. Army veteran and mother of young Hispanic men, she said the issue hits close to home.
"I'm here because I have loved ones there and because I'm not going to stay silent anymore," Yessica said.
She emphasized the importance of keeping her children informed about current events and civic engagement.
"I keep them up to date because they need to know that this is an important moment for us to raise our voices up and stand for what we believe in," Yessica said. "Their dad is a U.S. Army vet. He sacrificed for this country, our family sacrificed. This is something that hits very close to home and my heritage has everything to do with it."
Younger protesters said they felt compelled to participate given the gravity of the situation.
"People are dying, people are getting kidnapped off of the streets, and the least I can do is stand here with a piece of cardboard," one young demonstrator said.
While ICE has not established a visible presence in Twin Falls, some locals expressed concern about community sentiment.
"Frankly, even with ICE not being here, the military vehicles not being here, the amount of people I hear on the daily saying I can't wait for ICE to be here, ICE is doing a great job, I can't wait for them to reach Twin Falls, that in itself is terrifying," another protester said.
The Twin Falls demonstration was part of ongoing protests across the country following the Minneapolis incident.
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