Protests have erupted across the country over the weekend in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, which includes mass deportations and sweeping raids targeting illegal immigrants.Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment on Sunday evening.
Why it matters
The Trump administration has vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history targeting the estimated 11.7 million people who are in the country without legal status.A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from January 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans.
Eighty-eight percent supported “deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.However, the policy has since sparked concerns about its impact on immigrant communities, families and the economy.
What to know
As the Trump administration moves forward with its hard-line immigration agenda, immigration advocates across the country are mobilizing to protest and protect immigrant communities from potential raids and deportations.While immigrant rights advocates have been hosting workshops and sharing legal advice on social media with communities about knowing their rights, locals have begun organizing protests across the U.S. over the weekend.
The most intense protests have occurred in California and Texas along the border and near halls of government, with demonstrations of civil disobedience.
California
On Sunday a large crowd gathered in downtown Los Angeles, California in response to the recent increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations.According to the Los Angeles Times, demonstrators gathered near City Hall shortly before noon, blocking traffic at Spring and Temple streets as protesters blasted a mix of traditional and contemporary Mexican music from a loudspeaker.
Sunday’s protest follows several others as another protest took place on Wednesday that saw demonstrators with signs against Trump’s immigration policies.
Texas
Protests have erupted across the country over the weekend in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, which includes mass deportations and sweeping raids targeting illegal immigrants.Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment on Sunday evening.
California is not the first state to see protests in response to Trump’s immigration efforts: Texas has also seen several protests since Trump enacted his hardline approach to immigration.Hundreds gathered at Dallas City Hall Sunday afternoon in two protests to rally against arrests and raids by ICE. According to the Dallas Morning News, the protest is part of a nationwide movement advocating for “Legalization for All and an end to unjust immigration policies.
“It comes after one of the biggest demonstrations so far that saw hundreds of people gathering at the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in West Dallas on Jan. 26.Meanwhile, another protest took place in Conroe, Texas on Saturday, with people holding signs supporting immigrants’ rights and protesting the Trump administration’s new immigration policies, according to the San Antonio.
However, in a Saturday night statement on social media, Conroe Mayor Duke W. Coon said several protesters “became aggressive, disorderly and unlawful and assaulted a Conroe police officer.”Mike Holley, Montgomery County’s first assistant district attorney, confirmed to the Houston Chronicle Sunday morning that four individuals were arrested in connection with Saturday’s protests.
According to the Chronicle, the jail records for those Holley said were arrested stated that Ruby Meza, 19, of Conroe was accused of assault of a public servant; Anthony Richardson, 25, of Cleveland was accused of interfering with public duties; Duanterrius Hatchett, 24, of Conroe was accused of assault causing bodily injury; and Michael Green, 41 of Conroe is accused of assault causes bodily injury and terroristic threat. However, it remains unclear what led to each arrest.
Other States
Protests have also been seen in Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. According to the local ABC News affiliate, demonstrators took to the streets in Northwest Arkansas over the weekend for the second week in a row to protest against Trump’s immigration policies as protesters said they strongly oppose arrests in sensitive areas.
Around 1,000 people took to downtown St. Louis streets on Saturday to protest against Trump’s immigration policies, according to National Public Radio (NPR), with one protester chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.” Another protester later yelled: “No ICE. No KKK. No racist USA.”In Georgia, hundreds of protesters gathered along Buford Highway in DeKalb County on Saturday as protesters marched in the street, shutting down a portion of the highway.
What people are saying
Laura Urias, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) program director, said in a statement: “Detention separates families and exposes people to abuse and sometimes even death. California welcomes immigrants who come to our state seeking safety or to reunify with family, and those new residents strengthen our economy and our communities.
“The Trump administration’s barrage of executive orders is meant to instill fear and sow chaos. When leadership fails us, we must build community power.California Senator Alex Padilla, a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety said: “All Americans will feel the impacts of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, creating chaos and fear in communities across our country, while also driving up costs for businesses and consumers.
We can all agree that we need a secure and orderly border; however, these executive actions only further complicate that effort—and many of them violate the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. So make no mistake: it won’t be long before a policy of chaos costs the American people,” Padilla said in a news release on Tuesday.Protests have erupted across the country over the weekend in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, which includes mass deportations and sweeping raids targeting illegal immigrants.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment on Sunday evening.The Trump administration has vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history targeting the estimated 11.7 million people who are in the country without legal status.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from January 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.
However, the policy has since sparked concerns about its impact on immigrant communities, families and the economy.As the Trump administration moves forward with its hard-line immigration agenda, immigration advocates across the country are mobilizing to protest and protect immigrant communities from potential raids and deportations.
While immigrant rights advocates have been hosting workshops and sharing legal advice on social media with communities about knowing their rights, locals have begun organizing protests across the U.S. over the weekend.The most intense protests have occurred in California and Texas along the border and near halls of government, with demonstrations of civil disobedience.
On Sunday a large crowd gathered in downtown Los Angeles, California in response to the recent increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations.According to the Los Angeles Times, demonstrators gathered near City Hall shortly before noon, blocking traffic at Spring and Temple streets as protesters blasted a mix of traditional and contemporary Mexican music from a loudspeaker
.Sunday’s protest follows several others as another protest took place on Wednesday that saw demonstrators with signs against Trump’s immigration policies.California is not the first state to see protests in response to Trump’s immigration efforts: Texas has also seen several protests since Trump enacted his hardline approach to immigration.Hundreds gathered at Dallas City Hall Sunday afternoon in two protests to rally against arrests and raids by ICE.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the protest is part of a nationwide movement advocating for “Legalization for All and an end to unjust immigration policies.”It comes after one of the biggest demonstrations so far that saw hundreds of people gathering at the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in West Dallas on Jan. 26.Meanwhile, another protest took place in Conroe, Texas on Saturday, with people holding signs supporting immigrants’ rights and protesting the Trump administration’s new immigration policies, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Protests have also been seen in Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. According to the local ABC News affiliate, demonstrators took to the streets in Northwest Arkansas over the weekend for the second week in a row to protest against Trump’s immigration policies as protesters said they strongly oppose arrests in sensitive areas.Around 1,000 people took to downtown St. Louis streets on Saturday to protest against Trump’s immigration policies, according to National Public Radio (NPR), with one protester chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.
” Another protester later yelled: “No ICE. No KKK. No racist USA.”In Georgia, hundreds of protesters gathered along Buford Highway in DeKalb County on Saturday as protesters marched in the street, shutting down a portion of the highway.”The Trump administration’s barrage of executive orders is meant to instill fear and sow chaos. When leadership fails us, we must build community power.
California Senator Alex Padilla, a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety said: “All Americans will feel the impacts of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, creating chaos and fear in communities across our country, while also driving up costs for businesses and consumers.
We can all agree that we need a secure and orderly border; however, these executive actions only further complicate that effort—and many of them violate the rights guaranteed by our Constitution. So make no mistake: it won’t be long before a policy of chaos costs the American people,” Padilla said in a news release on Tuesday.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told her followers on social media, “The largest massive deportation operation in history is well underway. Promises made.
Promises kept.”Kimberly Perez, a protester from Springdale, told local ABC News affiliate: “My parents fought for my future. They came to this country and left everything behind — their families, everything.
They crossed borders and gave us the best life they could. Now, it’s our turn to fight for them.”Royer Rodriguez of Conroe told the Houston Chronicle, “We were doing a peaceful protest for everybody that couldn’t be there. We were there for them, trying to support what (Latinos) are for this country.
I can’t really say exactly what happened, but from what I’ve noticed there’s always that one person that can do something that ruins it for everybody.”
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