Three protestors arrested in front of the Whitefish Border Patrol Station in September pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and obstructing a peace officer on Tuesday.

The charges were filed in Whitefish Municipal Court against protesters Leanette Galaz, Colton Little and Aggie Putnam after they allegedly attempted to block a vehicle from leaving the Whitefish Border Patrol Station on Sept. 16. The protestors believed the car was transporting a mother and her teenage daughter to an out-of-state immigration facility. 

Luisa Torres and Fergie Diaz, 17, were reportedly detained by Border Patrol agents after they stopped near the site of a car accident about 9 p.m., Sept. 14.  

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection confirmed that agents responding to the request for assistance from Montana Highway Patrol detained five individuals that “were found to have no legal status in the United States.” The agency declined to comment on the ages of those detained or the circumstances under which they were apprehended. 

The mother and daughter are from Honduras, but details about their immigration and residency status remain unknown. They are being held at an immigration processing center in Dilley, Texas, according to the family’s supporters. 

Following the pair’s detainment, local advocates gathered outside the Whitefish Border Patrol Station to protest. At about 11:30 p.m., Sept. 15, Whitefish Police officers responded to a confrontation involving Border Patrol agents and some of the demonstrators. Video of the incident shows Galaz standing in front of a truck attempting to exit the Border Patrol station’s parking lot.  

No parties were charged in connection with that incident. 

Officers returned to the scene the following morning when Galaz, Little and Putnam allegedly blocked a second vehicle from leaving the federal facility.  

All three protestors were released from the Flathead County Detention Center after posting a $705 bail. Per the terms of their pretrial release, Galaz, Little and Putnam are restricted from entering the grounds of the Whitefish Border Patrol Station. 

They are scheduled to return to court for omnibus hearings at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 5. All three are being represented by attorney Jacob Johnson, though their cases remain separate. Johnson declined to comment on the cases. 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected]. 

    Leanette Galaz. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)
  

    Colton Little. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)
  

    Aggie Putnam. (Photo courtesy the Flathead County Sheriff's Office)