TAMPA, Fla. — Demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement continued to spread across Tampa Bay today, with protests taking place in both St. Petersburg and Tampa as community members voiced concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
The protests come amid heightened tensions following the death of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week.
WATCH: Protests grow across Tampa Bay over ICE violence and federal agency recruitment events
In Tampa Bay, dozens of protesters gathered to express outrage over what they describe as violence associated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
"It's very frustrating, it's very infuriating," said Vicky Tong, a member of Tampa Bay Students for Democratic Society.
The Tampa Bay Students for Democratic Society organized a rally after seeing an advertisement for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection recruitment event on a University of South Florida platform.
Tong said she doesn't agree with the university having anything to do with ICE, from recruitment to the 287(g) program, which was established to allow ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies.
"We see this program as something that the police department should not have to sign on to, especially with the number of international students of international graduate assistants at the University of South Florida," Tong said.
However, USF clarified that the recruitment event is not affiliated with the university and is not taking place on any of its campuses. USF's online career management platform allows external employers to post information about their events, but USF said it "does not constitute university sponsorship or endorsement of the event."
Instead, the recruitment event is happening at a Hilton Hotel in St. Petersburg, where dozens of protesters gathered to express their disapproval.
"The world's gone really crazy and it's angry and people are getting killed for no reason and I'm tired of it. I need to save the world for my grandkids," said Debi Havens, a St. Petersburg protester.
St. Petersburg police officers and Pinellas deputies responded to the rally to ensure the safety of both hotel guests and demonstrators in the streets.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri emphasized that the recruitment event is not related to ICE operations.
"There's not a single ICE person in that hotel. It's all Customs and Border Protection, which has to do with ports and airports and making sure people are checked when they come in and they've got the proper passports, those kinds of things," Gualtieri said.
The protests have remained largely peaceful throughout the demonstrations. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recruitment event will continue through Wednesday in St. Petersburg.
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