MORGANTOWN — Members of Mountaineers Indivisible Citizen Action gathered at the intersection of Monongahela Boulevard and Boyers Avenue Thursday afternoon to call on local law enforcement to resist federal pressure to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The demonstration, held near the Star City Bridge at noon, drew community members carrying signs with messages such as “Due process is the law” and “With liberty and justice for all.”
Organizers said the protest was meant to push back against what they described as unlawful pressure from the Trump and Morrisey administrations, which have supported the use of military troops and the National Guard to increase security presence in Washington, D.C., and other communities.
MICA members said the deployments often involve masked troops who do not identify themselves and, in the past, have violated residents’ due process rights.
The group urged officers with the Morgantown Police Department and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department to commit to three principles: act transparently by being unmasked and showing badges and names, protect the due process rights of all individuals, including constitutional protections such as Miranda warnings and access to an attorney, and refuse to use taxpayer funds to partner with state or federal agencies in targeting immigrant communities.
“The police are the public and the public are the police,” said Ron Allen, a MICA Action Team member and longtime Morgantown resident. “It’s important that we have a system that fosters trust within our communities.”
