Community action can make a difference

The events surrounding Beker Rengifo Del Castillo, the 33-year-old Venezuelan man living in Whitefish and taken into ICE custody on April 24 before being released, speak to the efficacy of community organizing right here in northwest Montana.

Rengifo Del Castillo arrived in the United States as part of the CHNV Parole program, a program designed to give individuals from certain countries a way to enter the United States legally for humanitarian reasons. While President Trump attempted to terminate the parole program, his executive order was blocked from going into effect by a federal judge.

On April 24, Rengifo Del Castillo was pulled over in Whitefish for a traffic violation and subsequently handed over to federal immigration law enforcement. Community organizers and activist groups were quickly alerted to the arrest and were able to get the word out to their social media followers.

Within hours protesters had gathered at the facility where Rengifo Del Castillo was being held. The protesters applied the pressure necessary to secure Rengifo Del Castillo access to an attorney before he was moved to an ICE Detention Center in Tacoma under the cover of darkness.

The protestors did not let up despite Rengifo Del Castillo being moved out of state. Daily demonstrations took place in Whitefish to oppose the wrongful detainment of a man with legal status to be in the United States. Facing constant uncertainty surrounding Rengifo Del Castillo’s situation, the demonstrators stood their ground to send a message that the treatment of this man and others like him would not be tolerated in their community. On April 30, Rengifo Del Castillo was released.

The call to action by Rengifo Del Castillo’s community shows us that the common people still hold power through organization. The ability to spread the word of Rengifo Del Castillo’s detainment and quickly organize proved invaluable in protecting his right to counsel and securing his eventual release. 

This community action right in our own backyard will continue to be an effective tool in a time when the President questions his obligation to uphold due process. I would like to thank Flathead Democracy, Valley Neighbors, and all other groups and people who made Rengifo Del Castillo’s release possible.

– Brian Walsh, Polson