Los Angeles remains 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 21 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 caused fresh outrage after deploying the National Guard before 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 37 U.S. cities since Friday, with the majority occurring on Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday, cities across the nation braced for more upheaval.
So far, they have been spread across 21 states, with the highest concentrations in California, Texas, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
There have been at least 565 arrests so far at various protests, mostly in LA, with 30 people arrested last night in Spokane, Washington, following a major police response.
Further afield, more marches took place on Wednesday, in 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, other areas have seen thousands of protesters take to the streets, with the National Guard called into two cities and hundreds of arrests nationwide.
Spokane, Washington
After a protest Wednesday afternoon outside an ICE office in Spokane, Mayor Lisa Brown imposed a curfew in the city’s downtown area running from 9.30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Thursday.
More than 30 protesters were arrested and officers deployed “pepper balls” on the crowd, according to Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall.
Brown told reporters that the curfew is meant to “protect public safety,” adding that the vast majority of protesters were peaceful
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.
Seventeen arrests were made on Wednesday as thousands flooded the streets at Federal Plaza. Four were charged with felonies, including aggravated battery of a police officer. Multiple vehicles were tagged with anti-ICE graffiti.
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. Eighteen arrests were made Tuesday, police said.
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.
The NYPD prepared for further anti-ICE protests Thursday after demonstrators marched from Foley Square before moving down Broadway, and later up to the Manhattan Detention Center.
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 seventh day on Thursday.
More than 700 Marines awaited deployment in Los Angeles on Thursday, marking the latest escalation of Trump’s response to the immigration raid protests.
Around 400 people involved in protests have been arrested by the LAPD alone, according to CNN.
Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, enforced a curfew for a second night 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 is currently in place from 8.00 p.m. Wednesday to 06:00 a.m. Thursday local time.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate hearing Wednesday that military personnel could be sent to other cities if law enforcement were threatened as protests flare up across the nation.
