Protests Erupt Across Los Angeles in Response to Trump’s Immigration Policies

Angelenos have taken to the streets, for three consecutive days of protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids occurring daily across the country. 

While Trump maintained the raids were to deport criminals, there have been “collateral arrests” of people without criminal records. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also terminated its “sensitive location” policy, which now permits ICE to conduct raids and arrest individuals at places of worship, schools and hospitals.

Demonstrations in Los Angeles began on Sunday morning, Feb. 2, when thousands gathered downtown. Protestors waved Mexican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran flags, and carried signs with slogans such as “No one is illegal on stolen land,” “Immigrants make America great” and “Don’t bite the hands that feed you.” Nipsey Hussle’s song “FDT” blasted from car windows between the sounds of banda and cumbia. 

The non-permitted demonstration, according to the LA Police Department (LAPD), eventually blocked traffic in both directions on the Hollywood (101) Freeway. 

“Accessing state highways or roads to protest is unlawful and extremely dangerous because it puts protesters, motorists and first responders at great risk of injury,” the California Highway Patrol (CHP) wrote in a post on X. 

Although boisterous, the massive protest numbering in the thousands covering several city blocks was considered peaceful. There were a few reported incidents of demonstrators spraying graffiti on public property, but no arrests were made despite law enforcement arriving in riot gear. 

Late Sunday, another rally supporting immigrant rights took place on the corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard in Pacoima. 

One protestor held a sign that read, “Para mis padres que vinieron sin nada y me dieron todo,” “For my parents who came with nothing and gave me everything.”

On Monday, Feb. 3, protests continued, with thousands once again gathering in downtown LA as part of the nationwide “Day Without an Immigrant” demonstration. Smaller rallies were reported in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County’s historic Latino corridor and North Hollywood.

Katherine Sanchez, a senior at Burbank High School, attended the protest outside LA City Hall with her parents and sister. She held a sign that read, “Ur racism won’t end our strength.”

“It’s very heartwarming,” said Sanchez, who heard about the demonstration on TikTok.

The “Day Without an Immigrant” protest and boycott, originally held during the first Trump administration in 2017, called for community members to not go to work, avoid spending money and keep children home from school. The goal was to show the importance and impact of immigrants on the economy. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023 foreign-born workers accounted for 18.6% of the U.S. civilian labor force. Furthermore “Hispanics” comprise nearly half (47.6%) of immigrant labor in the nation.

Many businesses closed their doors on Monday in solidarity with the demonstration, while others reported a very slow day due to the boycott.  

Late on Monday, following the hours-long rally in downtown, roughly 200 were handcuffed after police declared an unlawful assembly around 4:45 p.m. It was unclear if anyone was actually arrested, with most believed to have been detained and released. 

The following day, Tuesday, Feb. 4, hundreds of high school students who attend schools in East LA and downtown held a “walkout” and marched to City Hall. 

On Wednesday, students and alumni of the César E. Chávez Learning Academies in the City of San Fernando staged a “walkout” around 12 p.m. and marched to the City of San Fernando City Hall.  

“We are here to fight for all our rights,” said alumni Kayle Ayala. “We are here protesting not only for us, but for our parents, for our families, for our teachers, for everyone who is here in the United States.”

Almost half (45%) of California children have at least one immigrant parent, according to research from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Social justice activists Tonali Un and Carla Valencia said they hope to make the demonstrations a regular occurrence. 

“I think people are finally opening their eyes,” Un said, adding that many of the Latino Trump supporters she has spoken to did not believe he would crack down on immigration or follow through with his campaign claims.

“A lot of people I talk to now regret” voting for Trump, she said. “People are finally realizing they have to do their research.”

A Culture of Fear

Immigration was a major focal point of the Trump campaign, with him vowing to conduct mass deportations. In his first days in office, Trump signed an executive order to revoke birthright citizenship, declared a national emergency at the southern border and halted all refugee admissions.

Last month there were reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out raids in several major cities nationwide and in farming communities including Bakersfield and Oxnard. 

Although more deportations took place under President Obama than under Trump’s first term, anti-immigrant rhetoric from the administration and Trump’s supporters have many Latinos on edge, fearful of hate-fueled attacks and that undocumented residents in the process of acquiring citizenship will also face deportation. 

In 2023, anti-Latino hate crimes rose 19% in LA County, the highest number ever recorded, and were the most violent incidents of all reported racial and ethnic groups, according to the LA County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR). 

During an information hearing last week, Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez commented on the prevailing fear in the communities of the northeast San Fernando Valley.

“Communities like mine are being terrorized right now,” said Rodriguez. “While our community was evacuated in Sylmar because of the fires, and our power was out across the northeast San Fernando Valley, we simultaneously were getting reports about raids – that we later found out were not accurate – but the terror is real right now.”

One such incident was when a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle was sighted at the local Costco in Pacoima. An employee told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol the agents were there to pick up a large pizza order, but their presence alone caused panic in the community and a ripple across social media. 

“When we see homeland security trucks being reported at our local Costco in Pacoima, and we have to verify what’s about to happen, people stop going to the grocery store to replace those groceries they lost while the power was out for six days,” Rodriguez continued. “This is not only about protecting us in the future, it’s about ensuring our communities now know what their rights are, and have protections now. Because it is happening now in communities like mine and across California.”