Laramie Protestors Clash Over ICE
On Jan 31, 2026, Grand Avenue became a hot point for ICE protesters and supporters alike in light of the recent murders in Minneapolis at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The anti-ICE protest organized by the Young Democrats group took place outside the courthouse Saturday afternoon and brought a large crowd of protestors of all ages and demographics.
Two of the first protesters to arrive, Gordon Bender and his sibling Madeline Bender, joined the cause because of recent events that have transpired across the United States and, more recently, in Wyoming.
“[There have been] a lot of recent killings of innocent Americans and removal of people unlawfully from their homes, from their streets, without due process,” Madeline said. “We need more love and less hate [and] recognition that our diversity is what makes America great and America does not work without migrants.”
Her brother, who holds the same sentiment, added that “it’s horrific violence perpetuated by a broken system, and it is time that we change.”
“We need to stop letting these Gestapo wannabes just run around doing whatever they please, especially in ICE detention centers. There have been multiple cases of violent rape and sexual assault perpetuated by ICE agents in these basically-concentration-camps.”
While the protest pushed on, many cars passed, honking their cars in solidarity, while others revved their engines to show their disapproval. With time, the crowd grew. Another protest started forming down the street: pro-ICE and pro-Trump supporters who were waving American flags.
Two of the gentlemen at this growing counter-protest, Kameran Johnson and Maddux O’Brien, explained their reason for forming the protest in solidarity with ICE—something that has not been as common across the country.
“ICE isn’t destroying our community,” Johnson said. “It’s taking people back to their homes. I feel like [the protesters] need to let them do their job.”
In contrast to those protesting down the block, they shared their support with the methods ICE has taken to detain illegal immigrants despite the recent cases involving Renee Good and Alex Pretti, noting that procedures were performed similarly under previous administrations.
“I agree with everything that has been done so far,” Johnson stated. “We need to enforce more of the cities that are fighting against it, just because those are a lot of the cities that are harboring illegal immigrants.”
In addition to this, O’Brien said that, “The reason that it is an issue now is because Trump is the only person in office who is actually putting it out in the media, and they aren’t afraid to show that they are doing it.”
Lindsey Hall, a representative of the Young Democrats group in Wyoming, did not share this sentimentality, expressing the opposite view.
“There has been growing national unrest around ICE’s presence in our communities, even here in Wyoming,” she said. “There have been nine lives lost so far this year at the hands of the state and at the hands of ICE. We’ve had neighbors taken out of their shifts at work, and ICE presence going into businesses here.”
As of July 2025, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and five county sheriff’s offices have entered 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to assist in identifying and detaining individuals under ICE direction. With this, since November of last year, there have been an estimated total of 70 ICE arrests made in Cheyenne, WY, 50 minutes away from where the protests took place in Laramie.
“I hope that events and turnouts like this give hope to folks that maybe feel a bit different than the majority of the state. Wyoming is a deeply red state, and I think that folks that hold different opinions than our state legislature feel alone and without a sense in their community.”
The interviews revealed a divide in perspectives, with one side emphasizing the potential for intelligent dialogue through direct conversation, and the other calling for greater recognition of what they described as a position that transcends partisan boundaries.
“I feel like it would be an intelligent conversation to have the ability to see both sides, to be able to understand their views and what goes through their head,” Johnson said. “At the same point, though, I feel like what we are doing is right, and we’re gonna keep fighting for it.”
At one point during the protest, however, a man from the anti-ICE group approached another on the pro-ICE side, and the pair engaged in a civil exchange, underscoring the possibility of dialogue despite sharp ideological divisions.
