The streets of downtown Leavenworth rang with the clatter of pots and pans as dozens of neighbors, organizers, and former CoreCivic workers gathered for a joyful and defiant march against the proposed reopening of the CoreCivic-run ICE detention center recently. The “Pots and Pans March,” held on Saturday, July 19, was more than just a protest; it was a celebration of community solidarity and a powerful witness to our shared belief in the dignity of every person, regardless of where they come from. With chants, music, and homemade signs, participants filled the streets from Osage to City Hall to Haymarket Square, making it clear that this community won’t stand for the opening of a for-profit immigrant detention.
The energy was strong and grounded in lived experience. Former employees of the facility courageously shared what they endured—stories of violence, understaffing, and death behind prison walls. These personal accounts reminded everyone that this fight isn’t abstract. This fight is about real lives, real trauma, and a system that has repeatedly failed those it claims to serve.
Saturday’s march was also a reflection of the deepening bonds between residents, sisters, and community advocates who are standing together to say, “enough, finding common ground in the call to protect our immigrant siblings and to resist corporate profit at the expense of human life.”
There’s still a long road ahead of us filled with courtroom battles, but moments like this march remind us what we’re fighting for: not just legal victories, but a world rooted in compassion and accountability. We carry forward the spirit of the march; the rhythms of our resistance, the laughter between chants, the prayers whispered between speeches. Together, we’ll keep showing up, raising our voices, and building a future where dignity is never up for debate.