Democratic Socialists of America organize the South Bend community against ICE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Members of the Northern Indiana chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America held simultaneous anti-ICE protests Sunday, including a demonstration in South Bend where organizers issued formal demands to local leaders.

Despite cold temperatures, demonstrators gathered at Jon Hunt Memorial Plaza to protest ICE activity and to organize what they described as community-based resistance.

“It wasn’t just L.A., it wasn’t just Chicago, it wasn’t just Minneapolis,” said Peter Loutzenhiser, co-chair of the Northern Indiana chapter of the DSA. “It’s multiple cities across the country, and there’s never a clear certainty as to who’s going to be next. And part of it is that ICE agents are here in South Bend.”

Organizers led chants and songs but emphasized education and coordination over symbolism. Members demonstrated a method known as “SALUTE” to help residents identify and report ICE activity to their neighbors.

The acronym stands for size, action, location, uniforms, time and date, and equipment — all aspects of officer sightings that the community is encouraged to report.

“It’s fantastic that people are being mobilized,” Loutzenhiser said. “We need people to be resisting, but also to be organized in it.”

Beyond the public demonstration, organizers said the primary goal of the protest was to formally present demands to local government officials. Those demands include ending cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, removing surveillance technology, and withholding political support from candidates who do not commit to opposing ICE collaboration and funding as midterms approach.

“No compliance — local government and law enforcement officials should not work with ICE agents,” Loutzenhiser said. “No surveillance. We’re demanding that the city remove all Flock cameras from our streets. No collaborators — not supporting any electoral candidates unless they publicly commit to not working with ICE and to defunding them.”

The Northern Indiana DSA said it plans to continue pressuring local leaders to adopt noncompliance policies, arguing such measures are necessary to prevent large-scale ICE operations in South Bend and surrounding communities.