Mass anti-ICE protests erupt across US amid immigration crackdown

Anti-ICE protests have erupted across the United States following a surge in immigrant arrests last week and a military crackdown in Los Angeles ordered by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

On Monday, thousands took to the streets in over 2,000 cities, towns, and college campuses - one of the largest displays of dissent since Trump began his second term four months ago. The protests were organised in just a matter of hours.

Dissatisfied with the pace of arrests, the Trump administration had set a new quota of 3,000 detentions per day by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The resulting sweep targeted workplaces and immigrant gathering spots, sowing panic and fear in immigrant communities.

Los Angeles, where nearly half the population is Latino, became both a focal point for ICE operations and a hub of resistance.

Sunday's protests in downtown LA ended with 27 arrests. At least two international journalists were injured by police. That evening, Trump deployed the National Guard, and on Monday, he ordered the Marines to assist in crowd control.

In San Francisco, where 60 people were arrested the previous day, around 10,000 people marched through the Mission District Monday evening. The neighbourhood, home to large Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern immigrant communities, is known both for its vibrant culture and vulnerability to gentrification.

The demonstration drew a diverse crowd. Protesters waved Mexican, Salvadoran, Honduran, Palestinian, and pride flags. Some carried upside-down American flags, a symbol of distress. Chants and signs were in both English and Spanish.

"I'm out here tonight because my family are immigrants. They didn’t fight their whole lives to bring us here just to see this happen," said Sky, a local student, speaking to The New Arab. "What's happening is unjust, unlawful, unfair."

"People are being kidnapped. The government can’t send in the National Guard or the Marines. That’s ridiculous," she added. Sky said she fears what’s happening in LA could soon spread nationwide.

"Trump is on a power trip now. He has the power to do whatever he wants," she said. "I'm definitely worried this will happen everywhere."

Nearby, another protester named Shiloh said: "I think it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. I don’t come from that background, but I can only imagine if it were my people."

As the march moved through the Mission, residents and restaurant workers stepped out to film or show support. Some waved national flags or football jerseys from their balconies, greeted with cheers from demonstrators below.

The protest continued late into the night, making its way from the Mission to City Hall. Before the crowd left the neighbourhood, a dispute broke out near a McDonald’s after some protesters began tagging buildings. Organisers urged them to stop.

Some argued that corporate property was fair game in what they viewed as a class war. Others warned that it would likely fall on immigrants to clean up the damage. The tension eased when a protester led a chant of "Don’t tag the Mission!"