“Our immigrant communities are an important fabric that makes South Carolina a special place,” said Julie Zimmerman of Irmo. “To see them terrorized by their own neighbors and local law enforcement would be heartbreaking.”

Organizer Julie Zimmerman said she wanted to give people in the suburbs an opportunity to express their anger over the killing of U.S. citizens by ICE without having to travel to downtown Columbia.

“We also did this to let immigrants know that they aren’t alone, and to let people who are afraid to speak their minds that they’re not alone,” Zimmerman said. “No one has protested in Irmo before, so I just said ‘Let’s organize one out here’... This is going to be the first of many.”

“Enough is enough,” said protest organizer Julie Zimmerman, a Democratic candidate for State House District 71. She said ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had become “an occupying force” and accused federal agencies of separating families and harming communities. Zimmerman said state and federal leaders needed to understand that protesters wanted ICE removed from local communities.

Julie Zimmerman, along with other organizers, hope for everyone in the community to join and do their part in whatever way possible.

“We were founded on protesting a tyrannical government and the atrocities that are happening before our eyes and I think it's important to also give some visibility to what ICE is doing,” Zimmerman said. “Give people an option to go, ‘Hey, I don't have to go downtown. We can do that right here in our neighborhood.' "

“As a proud American,” Zimmerman said, “I know I have an obligation to stand up to a tyrannical government and that is exactly what we are seeing. I am asking my fellow Americans to stand with us. Join us in solidarity. Jesus, an immigrant, commanded us to welcome the immigrant and care for ‘the least of these.’ He showed us what it means to speak truth to power, and that is the road I am on. That is why we are holding this peaceful protest in Irmo.”

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"There will be unintended consequences," Zimmerman said. "And guess what, these folks who are supporting it, at some point their decisions will touch someone in their families."

“We really need peace in this country and the world right now. So it just really touched something in me,” Zimmerman said. “And so the closer they came, I was like, ‘OK, well, I don't care where I have to drive, it's probably like an hour.’ But then the universe put their path into our path.”