Static-filled shouts from a protester’s megaphone projected throughout downtown Bowling Green on Sunday as community members gathered to spread awareness about the Trump administration’s actions regarding deportation.
The event was organized by MoveOn, a public policy advocacy group. It started as an email petition, but transitioned into a digital movement that aims to mobilize activists and bring about awareness to political issues affecting the nation.
“Together, in collaboration with allies, we have grown the progressive movement and demonstrated that ordinary people’s voices can make a difference,” the MoveOn website stated.
There is currently a lot of controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s deportation decisions, as some people find its actions unconstitutional. Protesters said there is a lack of due process, which ensures that everyone is treated fairly within the law and that no fundamental rights are taken away without established procedures. Some said they fear for their own safety, as well as the community’s, as the administration has started to look at taking action on U.S. citizens.
“We will, in a matter of time, be seeing our neighbors, our friends, our children’s friends, getting snatched up and deported,” Megan Wingfield, a Kentucky 2nd district congressional candidate, said.
One of the biggest sparks for the protestors was the deportation of a Maryland resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, as a result of an “administration error”, according to the administration. He was deported on March 15, 2025, and was sent to the prison known as CECOT– a Spanish acronym for Terrorism Confinement Center. The legal U.S. citizen was wrongly detained, and a fight has emerged regarding his return, as CECOT is known for its harsh conditions and inhumane treatment of prisoners, according to the protestors.
“Everyone on American soil is entitled to due process,” Wingfield said. “They are entitled to their day in court, regardless if they are guilty or not. And so what we’re seeing is children who are American-born citizens being deported.”
An anonymous protester also spoke on Grayson County, Kentucky’s partnership with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This partnership, under the 287-G Program, pays counties to hold federal detainees. There is still a lot of speculation as to what the conditions are like within the detention center. This is one of a few counties, including Oldham and Bullitt county, that have adopted this plan.
Wingfield also spoke of the three children, who were U.S. citizens, who were recently deported to Honduras with their mothers. One child was a 4-year-old battling metastatic cancer. According to Wingfield, the child cannot access their medication or communicate with their doctor. The families’ attorneys have spoken out regarding their condition while the situation remains a concern to some.
“In our Constitution, it does not say citizens, it says people,” Wingfield said.
Children drawing with chalk expressed a message of unity at the protest. Near the corner of Park Row and State Street, a drawing of two people can be seen holding hands while gripping balloons, as well as smiley faces with heart-shaped eyes.
“What we’re seeing is the cruelty,” said Wingfield. “And so, we’re trying to encourage our community to stand up for not just their rights, but the rights for everybody on this land.”
