By Aldgra Fredly
Contributing Writer
Protests that began in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids spread to more cities on Tuesday with more planned into the weekend.
Protesters have begun gathering in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, calling for an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting illegal immigrants.
In some locations, the demonstrators clashed with law enforcement, and were arrested.
Police officers in Austin, Texas, used pepper balls and tear gas to disperse protesters gathered outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building after they refused to leave. According to the Austin Police Department, some protesters began throwing rocks at officers, and one protester spat in an officer’s eye after the gathering was declared an unlawful assembly.
As law enforcement attempted to prevent dispersed protesters from returning to the federal building, some individuals also threw scooters and barricades into public roadways, endangering public safety, police said.
“Officers contained the situation near 7th Street and Congress Avenue. Multiple arrests were made, and the remaining protesters eventually dispersed,” the department said in a Tuesday statement.
Four officers were injured in the unrest.
Activists are planning more — and even larger — demonstrations in the coming days, with “No Kings” events scheduled across the country on Saturday.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that the Trump administration remains committed to enforcing the country’s immigration laws despite the protests.
“ICE will continue to enforce the law,” Noem stated in a social media post. “If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
In Philadelphia, about 150 people gathered at the Federal Detention Center on Tuesday to protest ICE raids. Police said the protesters marched to ICE headquarters and used bicycles to obstruct officers.
Police stated that protesters ignored orders to disperse, and the protest escalated when officers attempted to make arrests. Two officers were injured and treated at a hospital.
One protester was charged with aggravated assault, while 14 others were arrested for disorderly conduct. Two of them sustained minor injuries and received medical attention. Police also said that several officers used force during the arrests, and their conduct will be subject to a review.
Footage shared on social media shows a car driving into a crowd of protesters in Chicago on Tuesday, prompting some individuals to chase the vehicle before it sped away.
It is unknown whether the driver has been arrested or if anyone was injured in the incident. The Chicago Police Department said in an emailed statement that no report had been generated for the incident so far.
In San Francisco, thousands of people took part in protests against ICE raids on Monday, which police described as “overwhelmingly peaceful” at the outset. The protests later turned violent when “two small groups broke off and committed vandalism and other criminal acts,” according to police.
The San Francisco Police Department said that nearly 150 people were arrested on Monday, including six juveniles, who refused to comply with orders.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said on Tuesday that he had been briefed on the ongoing immigration enforcement actions occurring downtown and confirmed that local law enforcement is not involved in carrying out those actions.
“I have been and will continue to be clear that these federal immigration enforcement tactics are intended to instill fear, and they make our city less safe,” Lurie stated on social media.
Protests against ICE raids began in Los Angeles on Friday, following the arrest of dozens of immigrants in the city as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation operation. President Donald Trump deployed members of the National Guard and Marines to restore order in the city, despite objections from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency on Tuesday and imposed a curfew — from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time — in the downtown areas as riots entered their fifth consecutive day. Bass said the curfew’s duration will be decided in consultation with other city leaders, although it is expected “to last for several days.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
