Montreal Protest Targets GardaWorld Over U.S. ICE Contracts

MONTREAL — Hundreds of demonstrators gathered peacefully outside the GardaWorld headquarters in Ville Saint-Laurent on February 13, 2026, to protest the Canadian security firm’s contracts with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The rally formed part of broader demonstrations across Canada and the United States denouncing immigration enforcement practices linked to ICE.

Organizers said the protest aimed to expose what they called “complicity” in U.S. immigration policies and to challenge GardaWorld’s role in providing contracted security services tied to ICE detention centers and enforcement operations.

What Protesters Are Opposing

GardaWorld is a large Montreal-based private security firm that operates worldwide, including in the United States. Public records show the company holds contracts to provide staff and security at facilities tied to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

Protesters say these contracts indirectly support controversial ICE enforcement tactics. They note growing demonstrations in Canada and the United States against those policies.

Protesters have held rallies in many U.S. cities against ICE enforcement. These events highlighted deaths and controversial tactics that critics say fuel public anger. In Minneapolis, people marched after federal agents fatally shot two civilians, drawing widespread condemnation and solidarity protests across North America.

Montreal Demonstrators and Police Response

According to local reports and eyewitness accounts, the protest outside GardaWorld’s Montreal headquarters drew up to several hundred people, though some sources suggest numbers varied.

Tensions escalated between protesters and members of the SPVM (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal). Social media posts and participant testimonies described the police violence using tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and physical crowd control by police in response to the demonstration.

Eyewitness accounts on online platforms noted that the police response included significant force that some observers called disproportionate to the actions of demonstrators.

Source: leora schertzer

Cross-Border Linkages With U.S. Protests Against ICE

The Montreal action was part of broader anti-ICE demonstrations in North America. In various U.S. cities, activists have protested ICE’s immigration enforcement policies and conditions within detention facilities. Those rallies have cited deaths linked to ICE actions in Minneapolis and elsewhere as particularly galvanizing moments.

In both Montreal and American cities, protesters have called for accountability over reported detention conditions, enforcement tactics and the human impact of immigration policy.

GardaWorld’s Role and Public Debate

GardaWorld provides security services and contract personnel in many countries and industries. Public records show the company also supports physical security at facilities linked to ICE operations.

Critics argue that companies working with controversial enforcement agencies must face public scrutiny. They say citizens and lawmakers should debate these contracts openly.

Supporters respond that GardaWorld acts as a private security contractor, not a law enforcement agency. They also note that governments often hire private firms to protect sensitive facilities.

We condemn the Montreal police SPVM for their use of violence against peaceful protesters, who were merely exercising their legal rights.