photo by: Shelley Hanson

People gather outside of Bethany Memorial Church on Thursday to protest ICE on college campuses and to show solidarity with international students. About 50 attended the event.

BETHANY — About 50 people gathered in the town of Bethany on Thursday to protest the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers against immigrants, and to show support for international college students worried about potentially being forced to leave the country by the government.

The protest was held in the evening on the steps of Bethany Memorial Church, which is located across from the Bethany College campus but is unaffiliated with that school.

Protest organizer Maddi Buxton, 22, of Wellsburg, who is a local college student, said she has spoken with international students in the area, and they are afraid.

“We are standing in solidarity against ICE and the Trump administration,” she said. “There are a lot of international students … and we just want them to know we are standing with them, and we will fight for them. They are not unheard, and they are safe with us.”

She believes that none planned to attend the rally.

“They are afraid every day. The constant argument is that they’re only deporting illegal immigrants, and as we’ve seen that this is not the case,” she added.

Buxton said the protestors want to be a voice for the international students who cannot speak out. She added that for a while, she did not know if the protest would happen because she needed a location to hold the event; that’s when the church stepped in.

“Instead of canceling the event, we wanted to make it bigger, we wanted to make it better just so our students know we are absolutely on their side,” Buxton said. “We wanted to use our privilege for good. They can’t come out here and hold signs, but I can and my peers can and the faculty can. That’s the purpose today — to make everyone feel seen and heard.”

Buxton said that people should stay engaged with what is happening and join local protests.

“Keep speaking up and keep being loud,” she said. “You’re strong, and every voice matters no matter how big or small your following is or what generation you fall into speaking up now is more important than it has ever been before.”

During the rally, protesters held a variety of signs and flags while yelling some chants. Some signs stated, “Due Process For All,” “Immigrants Make America Great,” “Authoritarian Playbook: Divide And Conquer,” “No Kings, No Cages, No Ice, No Gestapo,” “With Liberty And Justice For All,” and more.

Meanwhile, the WLU Students for Democracy are slated to hold their own anti-ICE protest starting at 6 p.m. today on the West Liberty University quad.