St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri responded to the protests outside a St. Pete hotel.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A visible police presence surrounded a St. Petersburg hotel on Tuesday as nearly 100 demonstrators protested a federal immigration recruitment event taking place inside.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is hosting a two-day hiring event at the Carillon Park Hilton, drawing criticism from immigrant rights advocates already angered by the recent killing of Renee Good during a confrontation with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.
Protesters lined the sidewalk outside the hotel throughout the day, holding signs, chanting and shouting at people arriving for the event. Some also directed their anger at Hilton for hosting the recruitment.
“There’s just too much anger in the world, and it has to stop,” demonstrator Debbie Havens said. “And what they’re doing with ICE is wrong.”
Another demonstrator, Victoria Merriam, said the hotel’s decision mattered.
“I’m not OK with that. I’m not OK with any of this,” Merriam said. “And they’re making a choice. And I’m paying attention.”
Law enforcement presence increased shortly before noon, including St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Officers instructed protesters to move back to a public right of way, briefly sparking shouting between demonstrators and police.
Gualtieri said authorities were working with the hotel to balance free speech with public safety.
“They want people to be able to come here and attend the event,” Gualtieri said. “They want their guests who are staying at the hotel to be able to enjoy their time here, and they’re trying the best they can to balance that and allow these people to do what they want to do.”
Gualtieri emphasized the event was hosted by Customs and Border Protection — not ICE — though that distinction did little to calm tensions.
“It’s Customs and Border Protection. It’s not ICE. It’s a totally different agency,” Gualtieri said, explaining CBP’s work includes ports, airports and border inspections.
Holloway said police were present solely to maintain order.
“If you stay within the bounds that we’ve given you, that’s fine,” Holloway said. “If you go outside those bounds, we’re going to correct that.”
The chief said there were no arrests and no injuries, adding that the only issue arose when protesters briefly blocked access points to the hotel.
A small group of counter-protesters also appeared, voicing support for immigration enforcement and clashing verbally with demonstrators.
“ICE is actually here for a reason,” one counter-protester said. “We have to deport people who are coming into our country and committing crimes.”
Police separated the two sides using cones and barriers.
“They just spar over their opposing viewpoints,” Gualtieri said. “But that’s OK. It’s America. It’s what you get to do. Just don’t touch each other and be peaceful.”
The protests follow recent demonstrations outside Tampa City Hall and St. Petersburg police headquarters opposing local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to a request for comment.
Organizers say they plan to return Wednesday for the second day of the event. Police say they are prepared.