by Berry Craig
Dec 21, 2025
Republished with permission from Forward Kentucky
Friday reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Paducah prompted Four Rivers Indivisible co-leader Leslie McColgin to postpone baking a batch of Christmas cookies and call a snap protest at the city’s Noble Park Saturday afternoon.
Some SUVs that appeared to be ICE vehicles had been spotted in a motel parking lot near Kentucky Oaks Mall west of Paducah, far western Kentucky’s largest town. The word spread on social media.
McColgin said she and her group didn’t know if the SUVs meant ICE agents were preparing to operate locally or were passing through.
“Just the thought of those SUVs hit me in the gut,” said McColgin, who lives near Lowes in rural Graves County. “But I had already thought that we should be out here protesting weekly like people did in Paducah during the Iraq war.”
Still, she wondered about turnout. The western Kentuckian issued the call on social media less than 24 hours before she scheduled the protest. “Besides, it’s Christmas, and everybody is busy,” McColgin added.
She was pleased that about 45 people showed up.
This year, Four Rivers, a branch of the national Indivisible organization, has hosted close to two dozen Paducah rallies against the Trump administration and its policies. The largest protests have been at the city park. Smaller ones have been held outside local field offices of Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and First District Rep. James Comer.
Despite some publicized breaks with the president, McConnell has mostly supported Trump’s policies. Comer stands in the front ranks of Trump loyalists.
McColgin said local immigrants have told her that ICE has been carrying out arrests in Paducah. “But they haven’t been super visible like those in big cities,” she said.
Four Rivers members and supporters were again visible on the park sidewalk that flanks busy Park Avenue. “I told everybody that those sidewalks are always there at Noble Park,” McColgin smiled.
Protestors lined the sidewalks for at least 200 yards, waving signs at passing motorists, many of whom honked, smiled, and flashed thumbs-up signals of support.
Messages on the signs ranged from “Stop Ice,” and “No Kings. No Ice. No Fear. Immigrants Are Welcome Here.,” to “Communities Not Cages,” “No Masked Ice Agents” and “Block Ice Detention Expansion.”
McColgin briefly addressed the gathering via the group’s portable sound system, Some of the demonstrators broke into impromptu swaying to music played over loudspeakers. “I think everyone likes the music, and I think it reinforces that we aren’t just angry people out there waving signs — we want a country with joy and music included.”
The protest lasted from 2 to 3 p.m. Afterwards McColgin planned to drive home and get back to her holiday baking schedule.
Berry Craig is a professor emeritus of history at West KY Community College, and an author of seven books and co-author of two more. He is a resident of Arlington, KY
