Hundreds Gather in Downtown Boulder to Protest ICE
By Lily Dennis
Two protesters take a seat on the corner of Canyon and Broadway. Ice Out Protest, Boulder, Co., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Radio 1190/Lily Dennis)
At the end of this past month on Saturday, Jan. 31, the Boulder community gathered on the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Folsom for an anti Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest.
While cars drove by, honking to show support for the protest, hundreds marched up and down the streets, holding signs to show the world their messages. A mix of long-time locals, college students at the University of Colorado Boulder, activist organizations, parents, children and others of all backgrounds came together to express their dissent regarding recent ICE activity. The crowd moved up and down the streets while loudly chanting anti-ICE slogans such as “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” These shouts could be heard from several city blocks away.
“I think that we just have to be peaceful, and in large numbers. That’s why I’m out here today,” said Laura Walker, a cyclist who participated at the protest.
Laura Walker, one of a group of bicyclists who attended the protest. Ice Out Protest, Boulder, Co., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Radio 1190/Payton Cordova)
ICE has gained tremendous power and influence under the Trump Administration. The federal budget for ICE has skyrocketed under the current government, with 85 billion dollars from the government being poured into this enforcement group, according to a recent article from the National Public Radio. The Boulder protest was part of a nation-wide response to recent ICE activity, in which members of the public have been both mentally and physically harmed.
In Minnesota, the recent shootings of Alex Pretti and Nichole Renee Good have sparked a wave of fear and outrage throughout the country, with countless others being harmed by ICE in some way. When asked about possible reforms that were needed to enact change within ICE, Walker said, “If the Senate can’t get any reforms done over the next couple of weeks, then, um, yeah. They need to be abolished.”
She then went on to speak about the growing fear that ICE has instilled across different groups of Americans. “I feel scared and under threat every day, and I’m white and old, so, you know, I’m kind of in a protected group, but it doesn’t feel that way right now,” Walker said. Other protesters within the same age demographic shared this viewpoint. “I just see what’s on the news. It’s criminal. Absolutely criminal,” said Jeff, another protester who declined to share his last name.
Other groups were also prevalent within the protest, with school-age children and college students actively participating. With a megaphone in hand, two students from CU Boulder led the crowd through several anti-ICE phrases, chanting “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA.”
Two young protesters lead chants on top of an electrical box. Ice Out Protest, Boulder, Co., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Radio 1190/Lily Dennis)
At the protest, a particular convergence of many different people across a spectrum of age groups, backgrounds and affiliations talked about the importance of community, and supporting people within that community. “I wanna talk about how excited I am at this particular protest, [about] all the young people we’re seeing,” one protester, Amy Dickens, said. “We’ve had good education, fresh air, fresh water, a Congress with empathy, and yet we see what’s happening to the young kids on the planet, and we are just disgusted. And that’s why we’re here.”
The younger protesters also spoke of the importance of showing up to the protest to support the community. A student from Arapahoe Ridge High School, Dylan Williams, said it was “to show our support and spread love throughout the community and just keep the peace going.” Others also emphasized the idea of ‘peace’ and ‘togetherness’ as a driving force behind the anti-ICE demonstration in Boulder.
“We’re just going to keep protesting,” said Sarah Trimmer, another protest participant, “we’re not going away, and, um, we can’t go away.”
The protest was among the largest organized demonstrations within Boulder, following the ‘No Kings’ protests that took place last year. “Boulder is a really special community, and, um, I just wanted to be a part of that today,” said Trimmer.
A group of demonstrators dressed in black hold a series of signs titled “Signs of Fascism.” Ice Out Protest, Boulder, Co., Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Center, framed, is a depiction of Alex Pretti’s killing by a CBP officer. (Radio 1190/Payton Cordova)