It was icy cold on Tuesday afternoon but it didn’t stop several dozen people from attending a demonstration in Pottsville against (and for) the recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Demonstrators on both sides of the argument gathered on Garfield Square Tuesday.
Several dozen opponents of ICE and the Trump administration gathered near the monuments in the Square. They carried signs and chanted in unison, expressing their opposition to the President and ICE.
Meanwhile, a group of about a dozen counter-protestors voiced their support for the President and ICE from across W. Market St.
Some counter-protestors even drove around the square, taking to a loudspeaker to heckle the anti-ICE group in the monument park.
Both groups braved frigid air that dipped into the low teens on Tuesday. The protest, however, got heated at times as the opposing sides spent the better part of an hour shouting their opinions back and forth at each other.
“I’m tired of everyone acting like this is normal. I was born and raised in Schuylkill County and I hate that this is the norm here, that people just accept this like this is the way it should be when I don’t think it should be,” one woman from Pottsville told The Canary on Tuesday. “I don’t believe in the concept of illegal immigration.”
One protestor – and rather infamous local online personality – told The Canary he sees parallels between the current climate to a time in the past.
“I’m not forgetting when this s**t ended last time,” protestor Ed Palamar, of Pottsville, said.
When we asked him of what s**t he spoke, Palamar said, “Fascism. Hitler. What do you think Trump is? He’s a Nazi. I know the difference between socialism, fascism, communism, totalitarianism.”
Jessica Simkulet, of Orwigsburg, said she believes there needs to be immigration reform but the way Trump is going about it is not right.
“This is not the way to do it,” she said. “Without due process, you can just take anybody off the street. And now we’re using racial profiling to et these people and (ICE agents) are masked. They’re basically just like military goons.”
Krista Kantner, also of Orwigsburg, believes the Trump administration is not abiding by the Constitution through its actions, especially in the way it’s handling ICE detainees.
“I’m worried about the future of our country. The Constitution is not being followed,” she said. “People in our country who are living here don’t have right to due process. That should be a given but it’s been thrown by the wayside.”
Photos: Coal Region Canary
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Howard Pryda
January 21, 2026 at 8:29 am
Lots of quotes from people who do not understand the immigration laws.
Imagine standing in the cold in support of foreign rapist, child molesters and murderers.
The majority of the people being rounded up have court issued deportation orders dating back to the Bush and Obama administrations.
I worked the Cuban Refugee resettlement operation under President Carter as a Military Policeman. The Cuban refugees themselves told us that over 90% of them were released from prisons and mental institutions and sent to the US.
Howard Pryda
January 21, 2026 at 8:33 am
These “rescue fantasies,” , exist because leftist culture has stripped women and men of real, meaningful roles and replaced them with performative outrage.
Motherhood. Teaching. Community leadership. Service. Work. Faith.
All of it replaced with screaming at cops and livestreaming moral tantrums.
“Your life is meaningless unless you’re out there screaming in a cop’s face.”
Debbie
January 21, 2026 at 8:37 am
Anti ICE protestors are going against Federal Law which is trying to protect us. Why do they want to protect the illegal rapists, child molestors, drug dealers and criminals we see moving into the County. Shameful. Reduce crime, don’t encourage it. You’ve obviously never been a victim. Talk to the victims of crime from illegals before your TDS warps your common sense.