'Abolish ICE' protesters march outside of Kenosha County Detention Center

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) – ‘Abolish ICE’ protests are sparking across the country this week, including in Wisconsin.

Marchers made their voices heard in front of the Kenosha County Detention Center Saturday afternoon. The facility is an active Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center.

“No justice, no peace,” marchers yelled.

More than 100 protesters swarmed around the building making noise with bells, whistles and drums to let people detained by ICE agents inside know they care.

“Hopefully they heard a group of people that says we care, we respect you and we're going to keep fighting for you,” Protester Andrew Wehrheim said.

The ‘Abolish ICE’ protests are in response to President Trump’s immigration policies.

“To let them know we haven't forgotten about them with all the events that have happened in the past week,” Organizer Jesse Patel with the group the Milwaukee General Defense Committee said.

Protesters outside of the Kenosha County Detention Center are making noise in hopes of seeing change.

“This noise demo was for the people on the inside, but we're going to keep building out here to get people out for the total abolition of ICE because we just don't need it,” Patel said.

In response to the protests in Kenosha, ICE spokesman Liz Johnson responded to CBS 58 saying:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fully respects the Constitutional rights of all people to peacefully express their opinions. That being said, ICE remains committed to performing its immigration and customs enforcement mission consistent with federal law and agency policy.

The recent calls to abolish ICE are dangerously misguided and overlook the vital work that ICE officers and special agents perform each day to keep communities safe.Instead of being insulted with politically-motivated attacks, the men and women of ICE should be praised for risking life and limb every day in the name of national security and public safety.