Protests over immigration raids pop up across US with more planned

Business Standard

a day ago

Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids and prompted President Donald Trump to mobilise National Guard troops and Marines have begun to spread across the country, with more planned into the weekend.
From Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted slogans, carried signs against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds.
Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with "No Kings" events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump's planned military parade through Washington.
The Trump administration said it would continue its programme of raids and deportations despite the protests.
"ICE will continue to enforce the law," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on Tuesday on social media.
A look at some protests across the country: San Francisco About 200 protesters gathered outside the San Francisco Immigration Court on Tuesday after activists said several arrests were made there.
That gathering came after protests on Sunday and Monday swelled to several thousand demonstrators and saw more than 150 arrests with outbreaks of violence that included vandalised buildings, and damaged cars, police vehicles and buses. Police said two officers suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Most of the arrests were Sunday night.
"Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco, but violence, especially against SFPD officers, will never be tolerated," San Francisco police posted on social media.
Police described Monday's march as "overwhelmingly peaceful," but said "two small groups broke off and committed vandalism and other criminal acts." Several people were detained or arrested, police said.
Seattle About 50 people gathered outside the immigration court in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, chanting with drums and holding up signs that said, "Free Them All; Abolish ICE" and "No to Deportations." Protesters began putting scooters in front of building entryways before police arrived.
Mathieu Chabaud, with Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Washington, said they were there in solidarity with the Los Angeles protesters, "and to show that we're opposed to ICE in our community." Legal advocates who normally attend the immigration court hearings as observers and to provide support to immigrants were not allowed inside the building. Security guards also turned away the media. The hearings are normally open to the public.
New York City A mass of people rallied in lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening to protest deportations and federal immigration policy.
Demonstrators gathered outside two federal buildings that house immigration courts and began marching amid a heavy police presence.
Some protesters held signs reading "ICE out of New York" and others chanted, "Why are you in riot gear? I don't see no riot here." New York City police said multiple people were taken into custody. There were no immediate charges.
Chicago In Chicago, a small crowd gathered on Tuesday outside immigration court in downtown and called for an end to Trump administration immigration sweeps and military presence in California.
"With the militarisation of Los Angeles it's time to get out and let Trump know this is unacceptable," said retiree Gary Snyderman. "All of this is so unconstitutional." The group then marched through downtown streets drumming and chanting, "No more deportations!" The demonstration had grown to at least a thousand protesters by late on Tuesday, remaining relatively peaceful with limited engagement between the group and police officers.
Denver A group of protesters gathered in front of the Colorado state capitol in Denver on Tuesday, creating a sea of cardboard signs, one exhorting: "Show your faces. ICE cowards." The group, inspired by the Los Angeles protests over the past several days, split in half, marching down two different thoroughfares and crowding out traffic.
A large police presence was not seen initially, but a few officers began blocking a street behind the the marchers.
Santa Ana In Santa Ana near Los Angeles, armoured vehicles blocked the road on Tuesday morning leading into the Civic Centre, where federal immigration officers and numerous city and county agencies have their offices.
Workers swept up plastic bottles and broken glass from Monday's protests. Tiny shards of red, black and purple glass littered the pavement. Nearby buildings and the sidewalk were tagged with profane graffiti slogans against ICE and had Trump's name crossed out. A worker rolled paint over graffiti on a wall to block it out.
National Guard officers wearing fatigues and carrying rifles prevented people from entering the area unless they worked there.
While a small group kept up their demonstration on Tuesday, several counter-protesters showed up. One man wore a red T-shirt and Make America Great Again cap as he exchanged words with the crowd opposing the raids.
Austin Four Austin police officers were injured and authorities used chemical irritants to disperse a crowd of several hundred demonstrators Monday night that moved between the state Capitol and a federal building that houses an ICE office. State officials had closed the Capitol to the public an hour early in anticipation of the protest.
Austin police used pepper spray balls and state police used tear gas when demonstrators began trying to deface the federal building with spray paint. The demonstrators then started throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at a police barricade, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. Three officers were injured by "very large" rocks and another was injured while making an arrest, she said.
Austin police arrested eight people, and state police arrested five more. Davis said her department is prepared for Saturday's planned protest downtown.
"We support peaceful protest," Davis said. "When that protest turns violent, when it turns to throwing rocks and bottles ... that will not be tolerated. Arrests will be made." Dallas A protest that drew hundreds to a rally on a city bridge lasted for several hours on Monday night before Dallas police declared it an "unlawful assembly" and warned people to leave or face possible arrest.
Dallas police initially posted on social media that officers would not interfere with a "lawful and peaceful assembly of individuals or groups expressing their First Amendment rights." But officers later moved in and media reported seeing some in the crowd throw objects as officers used pepper spray and smoke to clear the area. At least one person was arrested.
"Peaceful protesting is legal," Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, posted on X. "But once you cross the line, you will be arrested." Boston Hundreds of people gathered in Boston's City Hall Plaza on Monday to protest the detainment of union leader David Huerta Friday during immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Protesters held signs reading "Massachusetts stands with our neighbours in Los Angeles" and "Protect our immigrant neighbours," and shouted, "Come for one, come for all" and "Free David, free them all." Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, was released from federal custody later Monday on USD 50,000 bond.
"An immigrant doesn't stand between an American worker and a good job, a billionaire does," said Chrissy Lynch, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
Washington, D.C.
Several unions gathered on Monday in Washington to protest the raids and rally for Huerta's release, and marched past the Department of Justice building.
Among the demonstrators was US Rep Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state.
"Enough of these mass ICE raids that are sweeping up innocent people," Jayapal said. "As we see people exercising the constitutional rights to peacefully use their voices to speak out against this injustice, they are being met with tear gas and rubber bullets.