Dozens gathered outside Esports Stadium Arlington Wednesday with signs and megaphones to protest a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring event held there.
They gathered behind metal barricades set up in the stadium鈥檚 driveway, across from the main entrance. As applicants walked into the building, the protesters booed and shamed them for applying.
Protestors like Tasha Bee said they hoped the jeers and calls to just turn around and leave would convince some people not to go through with submitting an application.
鈥淚'm hoping that they see that this is not what their neighbors, their family members, their community members want and think twice about accepting this as a job if they even get the offer at all,鈥� Bee said.
The federal agency tasked with enforcing immigration law has been decried for some of its methods, including hiding officers鈥� identities, expanding operations in schools and churches, arresting parents in front of their children and detaining US citizens.
That鈥檚 why Enyssa Banda was outside the stadium protesting the hiring event Wednesday.
鈥淲e believe in due process and not every person of color, is a criminal, you know?鈥� Banda told 四虎影院. 鈥淏ut they're just racially profiling people who are walking the streets or driving to work or taking their kids to school. That's not right.鈥�
Wednesday was the second day of the hiring event. Banda said that on Tuesday there were around 40 protestors. Though people came and went Wednesday, the total number appeared to be around the same.
The hiring expo targeted , according to the description provided by ICE on usajobs.gov.
The description told potential applicants the agency may do on-the-spot hiring and described the open positions as an 鈥渙pportunity to step directly into a career that makes a difference.鈥�
ICE told 四虎影院 in an email Wednesday evening that it had not yet compiled the number of applicants or how many jobs were offered on the spot, but would provide those figures when they become available.
Bee said she feels those jobs do make a difference, just not a positive one. Most of the people walking into the building seemed to be men and Bee said she thinks they were attracted to the jobs by the possibility of protecting and providing for their family and country.
鈥淲e are brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends, neighbors, and this does not protect or provide for us, this, as a country, takes away all of that,鈥� Bee said. 鈥淲hat benefit do we get from this overzealous, unrestrained enforcement? Nothing."
The protest was largely met with no response from those walking in and out of the building Wednesday. Some people shouted back or recorded the protesters.
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