HELENA — The arrest last week of Christopher Martinez has reverberated throughout Helena. It has prompted protests, heated public comments at city and county meetings, and responses from elected leaders.
POSTERS RAISE QUESTIONS - WATCH:
Recently, posters have been put up around town noting the presence of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Joel Harris has called Helena home for the past decade, but he has never seen anything quite like this.
Harris says, “I totally understand the reason they are popping up with a case like this in the community, it makes it a little more real for people.”
Signs started appearing on light poles just last week and have quickly become a conversation starter.
Jacquie Maughan was headed home from a rally on the Capitol lawn when she saw this sign for the first time.
“I think these signs have too much information on them, but it is a serious issue we need to educate ourselves on,” Maughan says.
Maughan believes the signs have left the community with more questions than answers and are potentially polarizing.
“I have to read this thoroughly to tell me whether this is going to help me stand up for what I really believe is right,” Maughan says.
The posters urge people to report immigration enforcement activities, and others in both English and Spanish outline what steps to take if you encounter ICE agents.
The question many people have - who is behind the signs?
At least some were posted by The Waking Giant movement – a grassroots political group that has held several rallies in the Helena area.
Others reference an immigrant-owned business with a national following.
Regardless, they’ve certainly sparked conversation, a national conversation now front and center in Helena.
“When a national issue comes to your front yard, it starts to feel a little surreal,” Harris says.
