NEW YORK: Several thousand people took to the streets of New York City on Tuesday to protest the immigration policies of US President Donald Trump, after a series of raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sparked protests across the country.
“No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,“ chanted protesters who initially gathered at Foley Square, a plaza in front of a courthouse where several migrants were detained by law enforcement on Friday.
Protesters marched into lower Manhattan, many carrying signs reading “ICE, out of New York” in reference to the federal immigration police whose raids to arrest undocumented immigrants have ramped up in recent weeks.
“I’m here to stand up for those who don’t have a voice to be here at the moment, especially for my mom,“ one woman at the protest told AFP.
She requested anonymity, given her Mexican mother’s undocumented immigration status.
“Honestly, this country wouldn’t be what it is without the immigrants. So I’m here for them,“ she added.
Another protester named Jacqueline, a 23-year-old American woman with Mexican heritage, told AFP: “I’m here to defend my family… I fear for them now, and I don’t want to live in a society where I’m in fear for my family’s health.”
The march in New York was more peaceful than its counterpart in Los Angeles, where ongoing demonstrations between protesters and police have spurred Trump to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines.
Protests like those in LA are “unacceptable and will not be tolerated if attempted in our city,“ said New York Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday, who added that the New York Police Department was prepared “to handle any issues that may arise, especially when we are faced with deep division in our society.”
Adams did not implement a Tuesday night curfew in New York, unlike his counterpart in Los Angeles.
