Jacob Moore was downtown searching for a last minute Pacers ticket. Then, he joined the protest.
His yellow jersey stood out in a growing crowd across the street from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Game 3 of the NBA Finals would soon be underway. As fans filed in, others gathered to protest the Trump administration’s immigration raids across the country.
Protesters hold their signs high across the street from Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Destiney Glover (second from left) and others cheer while Riley Park (left) speaks into a microphone. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Protesters dance after marching to Circle Centre Mall. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Cristal Ochoa (left) and Jennifer Peña chant during the immigration enforcement protest. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
There was Maria, a 20-year-old from the far east side. She carried her heritage with a Mexican flag. But she wouldn’t share her family name, afraid it would draw attention to loved ones living in Indianapolis without legal permission.
“I’m fighting for those who can’t,” she said. “For those who live in fear.”
Junior, a 24-year-old from the west side, felt the same way. He is a first-born American citizen.
“My parents risked everything to give me this life,” he told Mirror Indy. “I actually have a chance.”
Moore, 35, isn’t directly affected in the same way. But he said what’s happening to neighbors brought him out — including rumored Immigration Customs and Enforcement raids around the city on June 11.
“It really put a damper on today’s festivities,” Moore said. “There’s no better way to show our rights as a free country than protesting.”
Pacers fan Jacob Moore holds up a sign facing Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
He and the two others, all strangers to each other, melted into a crowd that appeared to surpass at least 800 people marching through downtown — chanting, dancing and even spraying silly string. Organizers from the Indianapolis chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation said at one point, the crowd swelled to 1,000 people.
Some held signs that said, “I stand with Siakam, not ICE abductions.”
A star forward for the Indiana Pacers, Pascal Siakam is from Cameroon. He has spoken publicly about visa troubles, including when he made the gut-wrenching decision to skip his father’s funeral out of fear he wouldn’t be able to re-enter the U.S.
“The same people kidnapping Hoosiers will be cheering on a Pacers team made up of immigrants,” Moore said.
Pacers fans greeted the demonstrators , some with heckles, others with cheers. Drivers honked in support. People carried upside down American flags.
A protester waves an upside-down American flag at the end of the protest. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Two protesters show their signs out of their car window. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Indianapolis Metro Police tell protesters to step back and to get off the street. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Indianapolis Metro Police stand on the back of their trucks to manage protesters. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Police, already on the scene for the first NBA championship game hosted in Indianapolis in the last 25 years, followed the protesters on their route. Some officers carried pepper ball launchers for crowd control.
Everyone had Los Angeles on their minds.
There, ICE raids in the city’s garment district sparked mass protests. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and hundreds of Marines — a move condemned by California leaders for escalating tensions.
Things have remained calm in Indianapolis, one of nearly two dozen cities where sister protests popped up. Protesters here said what’s happening in LA inspired their dissent.
“If we don’t stand up now, things will only get worse,” said Cecilia Gomez, a PSL member who led the protest. “Militarized police might not be in our downtown, but the harm is already here.”
The 28-year-old, who lives downtown, pointed to what’s happening in the Marion County Jail.
Daissy Cook leads chants before the protest starts to move.
Party for Socialism and Liberation organizer Cecilia Gomez speaks into a microphone.
Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Indianapolis Liberation Center member Riley Park introduced each speaker before leading the protest towards Circle Centre Mall. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
More than 400 people have been detained by ICE in the jail at some point this year, records show. Some are facing local criminal charges, Mirror Indy found, but many appear to be solely detained because of immigration status.
Local attorneys say the jail was never used this way before the second Trump administration, and they worry about their clients having due process.
One of the protesters knew first-hand what it was like to fight a case from behind bars.
Jaime Pasillas, an 18-year-old who recently graduated from Arsenal Tech High School, spent about three weeks in immigration custody, including his senior prom night. In April, he was arrested for shoplifting $48.81 in merchandise from Walmart. He has no prior criminal record.
Jaime Pasillas (center) marches towards Circle Centre Mall during the From LA to Indy: Ice Out! protest. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Jaime Pasillas stands during the From LA to Indy: Ice Out! protest. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Signs lean against a brick wall after an immigration enforcement protest. Credit: Claire Nguyen/Mirror Indy
Now, he is facing a deportation order to Mexico — a country his family left when he was 6.
His aunt, Sabrina Disney, brought him to the protest. She called him “baby face,” then pointed at his ankle monitor.
“It’s not right,” she said. “He’s a good kid. He’s been here his entire life.”
At one point, the family peeled off from the protest to wait in line at a taco truck. Pasillas could find out if he’s going to be deported at a hearing on June 27.
They want to stay in the fight, but also spend time together.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
Claire Nguyen is a Dow Jones Fund digital media intern at Mirror Indy. Contact Mirror Indy at hello@mirrorindy.org.
Related
Republish This Story
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Local news delivered straight to your inbox
Mirror Indy’s free newsletters are your daily dose of community-focused news stories.
By clicking Sign Up, you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms of Use.