‘No one left to save us but ourselves’: Bellingham crowd protests ICE arrests, deportations
More than 100 people gathered at the Whatcom County Courthouse on Sunday to protest U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The peaceful protest was held to send a message of solidarity with undocumented community members facing deportation threats and action under the Trump administration, attendees told The Bellingham Herald.
“I have always believed in speaking up for those who can’t speak up. Today, that’s undocumented people,” said protester Hannah Nyland. “There are people here who have been working so hard for a better future. America is supposed to be the land of opportunity.”
Protesters marched from the courthouse to the Federal Building in downtown Bellingham before marching to City Hall.
They carried signs that said “Borders shouldn’t break families,” “Immigrants are what make America great,” “No human is illegal on stolen land,” and “Immigrants keep America running.”
“People here see undocumented migrants as members of their community. But the official stance of the federal government is that they are not members of the community. We’re in this together to protect each other and reject the notion that we are separate entities,” said one protester who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns.
Seattle police arrested two demonstrators at a Seattle protest against ICE this week, according to reporting by the Seattle Times. Although Bellingham police officers were nearby Sunday’s gathering, protesters saw no intervention from law enforcement. Many protesters wore face masks and bandanas to prevent being identified.
“We’re not violent. We’re representing people who are at risk of being deported,” Nyland told The Herald. “My number one priority is safety and doing this legally.”
This is the second gathering in one week in Bellingham in opposition to the Trump administration’s actions. A similar number of people came together on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as part of a national series of protests.
Protests were staged around the country — including in Olympia — against recent Trump executive orders and the conservative group Project 2025, whose stated goal is “to take down the Deep State and return the government to the people,” according to its website.
“There is really no one left to save us but ourselves, which I think is really what’s driving these demonstrations,” said another Bellingham protester.
President Trump campaigned on the pledge to carry out mass deportations. ICE has reported thousands of deportations across the country since Inauguration Day.
ICE Seattle announced Feb. 7 that its agents had arrested five undocumented immigrants between Jan. 29 and Feb. 1. Two of those individuals were arrested in Ferndale.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 7:39 AM.
