Tulsa, OK – Across the United States, fear grips communities over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests fueling what’s being called the largest deportation order in U.S. history. Right here in Tulsa, whispers persist that law-abiding, hard-working immigrants are being targeted, harassed and deported without due process. Amid this dread, is the outcry accurate? And what exactly is being protested?
This week, tension intensified at one such protest outside the new ICE detention facility in East Tulsa. The site was reported complete and operational as of September 24, 2025, when Tulsa County Jail Administrator Stacie Holloway briefed the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Authority board. Holloway also noted that 257 ICE detainees were then in custody awaiting relocation to the new facility, with local police departments assisting ICE in arrests.
A group run by anonymous activists, who call themselves Tulsa Fights Fascism, appears to be organizing these local protests. Online posts show gatherings planned weekly on Wednesdays, zeroing in on ICE’s 287(g) program. This initiative contracts local law enforcement with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants until they are transferred to federal custody, where detainees await a court date to face a judge that decides whether to grant the deportation order.
Organizers and supporters urge attendees that “signs, flags, and masks are encouraged,” suggesting that anonymity is a key goal as the activists themselves remain hidden behind unnamed collectives. Since they are not an official organization, there is no clear way to trace ties to other groups or funding sources. However, articles by Public Radio Tulsa earlier this year identify the involved organizers as Tulsa Fights Fascism, 50501, Democratic Socialists of America, and Indivisible.
50501 and Indivisible organize protests across the country. Indivisible began in 2016 as co-founder Leah Greenberg worked on Virginia Sen. Tom Perriello’s campaign, endorsed by Obama senior advisors including John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chair. Greenberg was also featured in a 2017 conference held by the Center for American Progress which is run by Podesta, whose theme was organizing mass protests nationwide to counter the new administration. Since then, these groups have grown into the unrest now unfolding in places like Chicago, LA, and NYC.
As chants rise, ICE officials offer a stark counterpoint. Just earlier this month in Oklahoma, they arrested 120 undocumented immigrants, with many reported by ICE to have previous convictions including money laundering, human smuggling, assault, and others. ICE also reported that a staggering 91 of those arrested held active CDL licenses, giving them permission to drive semi-trucks nationwide. This echoes a report last month from the Center for Immigration Studies, stating that since the current administration took office, previously convicted criminals arrested for being in the U.S. illegally now make up about two-thirds of all ICE arrests – a sharp rise from the previous administration where such offenders comprised less than half of arrests.
To sum it up, while these groups claim to be organic grassroots organizations driven by genuine passion to help the innocent, the connections suggest otherwise. The importance of diligent research cannot be understated when advocating for real change and safety in our communities and, ultimately, society at large.
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Shelby Unsilent 