Protesters waving Mexican flags and carrying anti-Trump signs gathered on Olvera Street before moving onto the 101 Freeway, forcing its closure. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and California Highway Patrol (CHP) shut down roads and warned motorists to avoid downtown Los Angeles.
Social media footage showed protesters spraying graffiti on freeway walls, vandalising a car, and facing off with riot police. Similar protests took place across the country, with 1,600 people rallying in Dallas and demonstrators gathering in San Diego and Riverside.
Protesters carried banners with slogans like “No human is illegal on stolen land” and “Fight ignorance, not immigrants.” Since the start of Trump’s new administration, ICE has arrested over 7,400 undocumented immigrants in just nine days, issuing nearly 6,000 detainers.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said authorities were targeting the “worst of the worst” as part of the mass deportation drive. Conservative figures criticised the protests, with some arguing that blocking roads only strengthened the case for deportations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed deportation flights had begun, with images showing detainees boarding military aircraft. As immigration tensions escalate, the nationwide protests highlight the deepening divide over Trump’s policies, with no sign of resolution.