Protesters march in downtown Raleigh to rally against Trump immigration crackdown
At least 2,000 people marched through downtown Raleigh Wednesday evening to protest President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the ICE raids sparking unrest in Los Angeles.
Waving both American and Mexican flags, speaking both Spanish and English, the protesters chanted for 10 uninterrupted minutes in Moore Square, saying, 'No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!'
They carried signs that said 'Immigrants make America great' and 'They want our money, they want our labor, but they don't want us.'
'Trump is using his power to show his might for no good reason,' said Becky McElroy, a frequent protester downtown. 'He's shown that he's willing to do anything to ram over everybody — his own citizens now.'
The Raleigh demonstration was the second this week to show solidarity with protesters in Los Angeles. Monday, about 100 people gathered in Raleigh to call for the release of labor leader David Huerta, who had been arrested for allegedly interfering with federal officers.
Wednesday night in Raleigh, Victor Uruija spoke to the crowd through a bullhorn and said he was with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He described himself as a proud immigrant from Michoacan in Mexico and called for unity in resisting the false label of immigrants as 'invaders.'
'It is ICE who goes into our communities and takes children away from their parents,' Uruija said. 'That's an invader. That's a terrorist.'
At 7 p.m., the group marched out of Moore Square into Hargett Street as horns honked from passing cars.
The crowd filled the street, forming a moving line opposition two blocks long. A snare drum banged a cadence while they chanted, 'Abolish ICE.'
As the crowd passed the bus station, a rider flashed a peace sign. As the group passed Marbles Kids Museum, a mother with children in her back seat screamed 'Idiots!'
Five Raleigh police officers followed on motorized bicycles.
Outside the Capitol, the protesters paused to decry Senate Bill 153, which would require four state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE agents and restrict state benefits for unauthorized immigrants.
The Republican-led North Carolina Senate passed the bill Tuesday along party lines along with another immigration bill, House Bill 318, sending both to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein.
They noted that the governor keeps an office inside the Capitol. Stein hasn't indicated how he will proceed with the bills, The N&O reported.
'What do we want from Gov. Stein?' Nicole Bracluk shouted into a microphone. 'Veto!'
Protests started around the country after ICE agents began immigration sweeps across Los Angeles Friday, triggering protests there. Video of those events showed protesters vandalizing buildings and throwing bottles at police, who in turn responded in riot gear, confronting them with tear gas launchers and batons, according to ABC News.
Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday — a first without consent from a state governor since President Lyndon Johnson's move to protect civil rights activists in Alabama in 1965.
Soon after, Trump deployed 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops, triggering a lawsuit from California against the president's administration. A curfew has since been enacted in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Trump spoke at Fort Bragg Tuesday, telling the assembled troops, 'This anarchy will not stand.'
In Raleigh on Wednesday night, the rally and march remained peaceful for more than two hours, attracting people as it moved along. As the crowd ended back in Moore Square, the demonstrators mingled and danced until night fall.
'I think it went really well,' said Rosa Valenzuela, pushing a stroller and carrying an American flag while people danced in a circle. 'I'm glad to see the young people. We get a lot of young people because their parents are afraid. ICE. They're representing their parents.'
As she spoke, a cheer rose while 'La Puerta Negra' began playing on a portable speaker.
Anti-Trump protests will continue this weekend in Raleigh and around the country. 'No Kings' rallies are scheduled to coincide with a military parade in Washington, DC, but they have evolved in purpose as immigration raids ramp up in major cities.
Raleigh's 'No Kings' protest is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6101 Capital Blvd, between Old Wake Forest Road and Oak Forest Drive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pritzker slams House Republicans after sanctuary law hearing: ‘Again, nothing accomplished'
The Brief Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent over eight hours testifying before the House Oversight Committee, criticizing Republicans for focusing on partisan attacks instead of immigration reform. Tensions rose during exchanges with Rep. Mary Miller, who questioned Pritzker about working with a potential Trump administration and ICE; Pritzker later called her a "terrible congresswoman." Pritzker defended Illinois' TRUST Act, saying it remains necessary due to federal inaction on immigration, and called for comprehensive reform from Congress. WASHINGTON, D.C. - After testifying before the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C. for eight hours on Thursday over the state of Illinois' sanctuary policies, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said ultimately, nothing was accomplished. "This Republican majority was not at all interested in addressing comprehensive immigration reform, which is what we need in this country, and instead, they simply attacked three Democratic governors who are all trying to deal with the failures of this Congress," Pritzker said. "Look, the Republicans have a bare majority in the House of Representatives, and they control the government. They should work with Democrats to get this reform done. They should have listened to us about the challenges that we have in dealing with their failures, but they did not. It was just attack after attack and it's too bad. We had an awful lot to offer." What we know Pritzker appeared before the committee alongside Democratic governors Tim Walz of Minnesota and Kathy Hochul of New York to testify on state-level immigration policies, including Illinois' status as a sanctuary state. The hearing also touched on the incident that day in which U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was shoved and handcuffed during a press conference led by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and officials from the Department of Homeland Security. "They showed no respect about the attack on Senator Padilla. All he wanted was just answers to questions. He went into a press conference that Kristi Noem was running, tried to ask questions and instead was thrown down to the ground and handcuffed. I mean, this is Donald Trump's America, where they take a Democratic senator, throw him down on the ground, and handcuff him for just wanting answers that his constituents need for him to do the job," Pritzker said. Another tense exchange came with U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., who cited a report that Pritzker had called for "mass protests, mobilization and disruption." She then asked whether he would commit to working with the Trump administration and ICE to prevent violence like that seen during protests in Los Angeles. "We work every day with our federal government… we do all the time work with the federal government, with law enforcement," Pritzker said. "I'm taking that as a yes," Miller said. Following the hearing, Pritzker criticized Miller, saying she "brings nothing home to her district." "Mary Miller is a terrible congresswoman for her district. She literally brings nothing home to the district. She does not believe in doing things for her constituents and, instead, all she does is attack, attack, and attack. She does that on her Twitter account, she does that on her Facebook account. She barely shows up for her constituents and almost never wants to engage in conversation about actual policies that will help the people of her district," Pritzker said. Illinois TRUST Act Throughout the hearing, lawmakers repeatedly brought up Illinois' TRUST Act, which limits how much local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The law, enacted in 2017 under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, has faced renewed scrutiny. Pritzker was asked if he would consider making any updates to the law, to which he responded, "I think the TRUST Act has done the work that it's supposed to do in an environment in which the federal government is not doing its job." "I said to Congressman LaHood, 'do your job.' And I say that to all members of the Congress. It is time for comprehensive immigration reform," Pritzker added. Pritzker closed his remarks after the hearing by condemning the overall conduct of the Republican-led committee. "An entire day of just harping on things that, frankly, were mostly false," he said. "Would I say it was a waste? I think this entire Republican-controlled Congress is a waste." RELATED: Pritzker testifies before Congress on Illinois sanctuary laws
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Could cost you your freedom': Immigration attorneys warn clients of ICE arrests at Memphis court
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 'Abide by the law — but understand it could cost you your freedom.'That's the warning immigration attorneys are giving clients who show up for court in Shelby County. WREG has told you about the ICE agents who have shown up at the court, arresting people on the spot once their cases are disposed of. You wouldn't know the court was taking place at 80 Monroe Avenue, but most mornings and afternoons, Immigration Court is in full force on the 5th and 8th floors of the downtown Memphis building. Attorney says 8 arrested in immigration court Attorney Andrew Rankin has been representing clients here for years, but says recently, he has witnessed something never seen before. 'These pictures show what happens to people who are trying to do the right thing by showing up to their immigration hearing,' said Attorney Rankin. Eight people were detained on May 22. 'Taking away a single mother who doesn't even have a traffic ticket. There is no comparable in my professional career. I don't even know what I would compare this to if I tried,' said Rankin. Attempted arrest made in Nutbush was not immigration-related, says SCSO WREG sat in on Judge Russo's afternoon docket. The courtroom is small, and the defendants were brought in one at a time. Most don't speak English and have to use an interpreter. Many of their attorneys aren't in the courtroom and appear virtually. WREG didn't see anyone detained for the hour when in the courtroom. 'Most or almost all of the arrests are going to take place in the morning so that they can process them in Memphis around the lunchtime hour, maybe early afternoon, and then the transport comes to get them down to Louisiana,' said Rankin. He says judges are dismissing cases and telling defendants they are free to go. 'They exit the immediate courtroom, and then they're taken into custody, either just outside the door or in the hallway leading to the exit,' said Rankin. What to know about 'No Kings' protests against Trump's policies He says they are then taken off to an ICE office near the airport. Because there are no bed facilities in Memphis, the detainees have to be taken hours away to Louisiana, the closest detention center, where they restart the deportation proceedings. 'Restart your case under a different proceeding that allows us to get you out quicker, and that provides fewer rights for you to challenge what's going on,' said Rankin. We were told it happens quickly, and families can be left torn apart. One downtown worker witnessed it. 'And like a mom was crying as she was getting put in, and her kid and I assume her husband was shooed away,' said a witness. 'They know they know if you don't show up to court, you're going to get ordered deported. They don't need an attorney to tell you that they know that, but they also don't want to go to court and voluntarily cause their own arrest,' said Rankin. Man accused of carjacking WREG reporter arrested Attorneys said they are left in a quagmire as they advise their clients that they legally have to show up for their court date, but also alert them of the risks. 'You also have to advise them of the landscape right? The entire landscape,' said Matthew Orr, immigration attorney. 'I think that at the end of the day. An attorney's job is to help their client make informed decisions. It's not to make decisions for the client.' 'I am ethical. I advise people of what the law is. You know that that's my job. The law is that if you're ordered to show up for a hearing, you're ordered to show up for a hearing but, on the other hand, it would be disingenuous to look someone in the eyes and tell them that they're gonna go home and see their kids tonight,' said Orr. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security said this is a part of the new Trump Administration implementing the rule of law. Illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S. in the last 2 years are subject to expedited removals. ICE is now following the law and placing them in that expedited removal process. Attorneys told WREG that ICE agents first started showing up at courts on the West Coast, and said this was a national rollout that has now made it to Memphis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NYPD investigates arson attack on police vehicles in Brooklyn
BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (PIX 11) — Flames erupted in an NYPD parking lot after detectives say a masked arsonist torched 11 police vehicles in Bushwick Thursday morning. According to investigators, a perp wearing all black and yellow gloves hopped a fence to gain entry to the lot, which houses vehicles assigned to Patrol Borough Brooklyn North. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a police officer caught the perp in the act. 8 police cruisers set on fire in Brooklyn parking lot: NYPD 'A member of service assigned to our station house security at Brooklyn North interrupted the perpetrator as he was setting fire to a number of vehicles, at which point the perpetrator removed a piece of plywood and fled through an alleyway back to Hart Street,' said Tisch. City officials say three vehicles were discovered, untouched by the flames, with unignited fire starter balls and bundles of hay strewn across their windshields and around the front and rear passenger tires. Mayor Eric Adams said there's reason to believe that the suspect is connected to the anti-ICE protests taking place across the country. 'We received some information that is going to be part of the investigation, but there's a clear indication that someone that had first hand knowledge of this and taking credit for it,' Adams said. He added, 'One has a right to peacefully protest, but you do not have a right to destroy the property of the city of New York.' Maddie Flynn lives nearby and said she heard commotion after the fire broke out just before 1:30 Thursday morning. 'Just woke up in the middle of the night. Police helicopters kind of swirling above,' said Flynn. She added 'I think it just reflects how maybe people are feeling in this moment. There's a lot of tension in this moment and can't say that I'm surprised.' The charred vehicles were towed from the scene later in the evening as the NYPD Arson & Explosion unit and the ATF continue investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Adams is vowing to hold the suspect accountable. 'We are going to find you and we're going to bring you to justice,' said Adams. 'This is a felony. It is arson and we're going to treat it as such.' Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
