LA protests ignite anti-ICE demonstrations across the country
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Hundreds of protesters in Los Angeles gather to demand an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement workplace raids on June 8. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Days of protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration's sweeping immigration measures have sparked demonstrations across the country.
The big picture: The administration has taken precedent-defying measures by federalizing California's National Guard over opposition from state officials and mobilizing hundreds of Marines to "restore order."
- Across the country, protesters have rallied in solidarity with demonstrators in the LA area.
Driving the news: Protests — some of which have turned tense — have popped up in other areas of California, in several Texas cities and beyond.
- Dozens of additional demonstrations were held in response to the arrest of David Huerta, a prominent union leader in Los Angeles, who was detained while serving as a community observer at a worksite immigration raid.
- Huerta was released on a $50,000 bond Monday.
What's next: Protests show no signs of stopping, with a "nationwide day of defiance" planned in response to President Trump's multimillion-dollar military parade in D.C. on Saturday.
Here are some of the locations where protests are taking place:
ICE protests in Santa Ana, San Francisco
The scene in Santa Ana grew chaotic Monday as protesters threw objects at law enforcement, with federal agents deploying tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper balls, according to local police.
- Police declared an unlawful assembly Monday evening, according to local reports.
- Santa Ana Police Department Chief Robert Rodriguez issued a statement urging demonstrators to go home and said those who break the law will be "held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
In San Francisco, over 100 people gathered Monday to call for Huerta's release in one of dozens of protests across the nation spearheaded by local unions.
- The day prior, more than 150 people were arrested at protests in the city, per local reports.
- The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that two officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening during the Sunday demonstrations.
Demonstrations in Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio
A protest in Dallas Monday evening escalated from a peaceful gathering to a contentious encounter between protesters and police, according to local reporting, with law enforcement eventually declaring the demonstration unlawful.
- One person was arrested at the protest, police confirmed to local outlets.
In downtown Austin, a "large group," as described by police, moved throughout the streets Monday night.
- Authorities used tear gas Monday evening to disperse protesters.
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of downtown San Antonio in a peaceful protest Sunday, local outlets reported.
- Similarly, demonstrators in Houston called for an end to mass deportations Sunday in a gathering that remained peaceful.
Protesters arrested at Trump Tower in New York City
Police in New York City arrested some two dozen people on Monday who were protesting the administration's deportations at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
- Meanwhile, labor unions held a rally in support of Huerta near City Hall.
What they're saying: "New York City will always be a place to peacefully protest, but we will not allow violence and lawlessness," New York Mayor Eric Adams said.
Atlanta protesters gather at ICE office
On Monday, protesters gathered outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office in Atlanta, calling for an end to raids and advocating for Huerta, according to local reports.
- Activists called for "an emergency rally for immigrants" Tuesday evening.
Zoom out: Protests in Louisville, Boston, Pittsburgh, Seattle and other cities coast to coast decried Huerta's arrest and the Trump administration's mass deportation push.
Go deeper: Trump using L.A. unrest to push his big bill in D.C.
