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Los Angeles might be the epicenter of unrest after protests erupted in the wake of a string of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday.
Now, demonstrations have been sparked across the country, with dozens reported in at least 19 states since Friday.
The first protests followed after crowds attempted to thwart ICE agents’ detention efforts in downtown LA last week. The following morning, President Donald Trump was accused of causing fresh chaos after deploying the National Guard and eventually mobilizing the U.S. Marines on Monday evening.
Dozens of demonstrations have erupted around the country, both in solidarity with the LA protesters and as a form of broader protest against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The Independent has identified anti-ICE protests in at least 35 U.S. cities since Friday, with the majority occurring on Monday and Tuesday.
So far, they have been spread across 19 states, with the highest concentrations in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
According to The New York Times, cities across the U.S. braced for more protests on Wednesday, with multiple marches planned in Mission Viejo, Eugene, Raleigh, St. Louis, San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Seattle.
The nationwide demonstrations have varied in size, with some cities reporting dozens or hundreds of protesters.
Meanwhile, others have seen thousands of protesters take to the streets, with the National Guard called into two cities and hundreds of arrests nationwide.
Chicago, Illinois
Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Chicago on Tuesday.
Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but Fox News reported that some protesters vandalized police vehicles and were involved in altercations.
On Tuesday night, a car ploughed through crowds of protesters in the downtown area. The driver allegedly ignored police attempts to stop the car, according to the network. There have been no reported injuries.
Denver, Colorado
Hundreds gathered outside the Colorado Capitol in Denver on Tuesday, according to CBS News, for largely peaceful protests.
Reports say that protesters spilled into the streets, but no widespread unrest was reported.
Later that evening, Denver Police reportedly used smoke and pepper balls to disperse the crowd.
In nearby Aurora, home to Colorado’s only ICE detention center, an additional 150 people joined the protest, according to local news reports.
New York City
Around 20 anti-ICE protesters were also led away by police in New York, following demonstrations in Manhattan on Monday.
The following morning, two dozen people were arrested during a sit-in protest at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.
Clashes broke out between police and protesters near an ICE office on Tuesday, which saw demonstrators thrown to the ground as police tried to handcuff them. Others lobbed water bottles at officers.
Atlanta, Georgia
A rally began on Monday outside the ICE office in Atlanta, with protesters calling for the end of immigration raids and the release of the detained union leader, David Huerta, in California.
Hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday night along Buford Highway in Brookhaven. Many carried signs and chanted in English and Spanish during the march, denouncing the Trump administration’s stringent deportation efforts.
Officials say that they arrested six people after protesters failed to leave after the rally’s designated cut-off point and clashed with law enforcement officials.
What is happening in Los Angeles?
The protests in LA are expected to enter their sixth day on Wednesday.
More than 700 Marines awaited deployment in Los Angeles on Wednesday, marking the latest escalation of Trump’s response to the immigration raid protests.
At least 378 have been arrested by LAPD alone, police confirmed on Tuesday morning.
Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, enforced a curfew in a portion of downtown LA in response to looting and vandalism, with the Los Angeles Police Department stating that it made “mass arrests” after the restriction was imposed. The curfew was in place from 8.00 a.m. Tuesday to 06:00 a.m. Wednesday local time.
The administration is now considering troop deployments to other cities as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensify in New York, Chicago, Austin, and Denver, an official told the New York Times.
