As Los Angeles enters its sixth consecutive day of protests, demonstrations have erupted in several major U.S. cities, from New York to Atlanta, including Chicago.
At the root of the anger: ICE raids
Driving the unrest are immigration raids conducted by federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), widely condemned as brutal and arbitrary by many citizens and human rights organizations.
A relative calm was observed in Los Angeles overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, with the city now under curfew. Nevertheless, police arrested around twenty people, maintaining a visible presence in the streets.
On Monday, the city’s mayor denounced what she described as Washington’s escalating security response, following President Donald Trump’s order to deploy 700 Marines to reinforce the 4,000 National Guard troops already mobilized.
This military deployment is drawing increasing criticism, including from local elected officials who denounce what they call a “power grab” by the president, accusing him of militarizing the response to civil unrest.
A growing movement
Beyond California, demonstrations are spreading to other cities. In Manhattan, several thousand people marched Tuesday evening to “defend those who cannot make their voices heard,” said one protester, whose mother, of Mexican origin, is living in the country without legal status.
In Atlanta, Georgia, dozens of demonstrators expressed outrage at ICE tactics, accusing the agency of acting without clear identification. “There are people getting arrested by agents without badges, wearing masks… it really makes me angry,” said Brendon Terra, a 26-year-old protester.
More gatherings are planned in Seattle, Las Vegas, and again in New York. All are building toward a major national day of action called “No Kings,” scheduled for Saturday in Washington, where Trump is expected to attend a highly symbolic military parade.
Rising tensions in the South
Tensions are also running high in the southern states. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a prominent Republican figure, has ordered the deployment of the National Guard to San Antonio in anticipation of a planned protest in the coming days.
Texas, which shares a border with Mexico, is on the front line of federal immigration policy and the controversies it has triggered—particularly concerning detention practices, family separations, and deportations.
A turning point in the Trump presidency?
At the White House, the tone remains uncompromising. “Donald Trump will never let the rule of the street prevail in America,” a spokesperson declared on Wednesday, defending the president’s hardline stance against what he called disorder.
But the show of force is raising alarm. For many observers, the militarization of civil protest management could signal an authoritarian shift in American governance.
The ongoing demonstrations also highlight the deepening rift between the Trump administration and a growing segment of civil society, particularly active around issues of social justice, civil rights, and minority protections.
As the United States sinks deeper into a climate of extreme polarization, the protests against Trump’s immigration policy underscore more than a momentary disagreement.
They reflect a crisis of trust between citizens and institutions, between civil liberties and security, between democratic legitimacy and the use of force.
The “No Kings” movement, set for Saturday, could well become a defining moment in this tense political chapter, just months ahead of a critical election.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
