Los Angeles Deportation Protests Tie Up Traffic and Bring City to a Halt

Protests over President Trump’s stringent immigration policies erupted across the country over the weekend, with the city of Los Angeles grinding to a stand still on Sunday as thousands gathered downtown.Demonstrators gathered en masse near City Hall around noon and blocked traffic. The protests continued throughout the day and into the evening, according to Los Angeles Times.By early afternoon, the number of protesters swelled to several thousand, according to the newspaper, with some carrying signs with messages like, “MAGA – Mexicans always get across”; “I drink my horchata warm because f*** I.C.E [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]”; and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” referring to agricultural laborers in the state.The protests were mostly peaceful, but dozens of protesters eventually wandered onto the nearby 101 freeway, with hundreds more crowded onto overpass roadways and stopping traffic on the busy highway for hours.By 7 p.m., a citywide tactical alert was called, and officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were deployed in full riot gear to the scene, forming lines near Union Station to hold back protesters. The California Highway Patrol officials told Los Angeles Times that the protesters had finally cleared out by 8 p.m. and that the 101 had been reopened.The demonstration was in response to Mr. Trump’s recent executive orders that limit legal means for migrants to enter America, higher law-enforcement numbers along the southern border, and waves of sweeps to deport migrants in the country illegally. It’s estimated that 2 million undocumented immigrants are in California, including those who stayed past their visas or requested asylum.Several protests also occurred in Texas on Sunday, with hundreds gathering in front of Dallas city hall in two protests, according to the Dallas Morning News. The demonstration comes days after Governor Abbott issued an order to the state’s Department of Public Safety to deploy “tactical strike teams” to assist with efforts to sweep up undocumented immigrants.In Georgia, protests on Saturday led to hundreds of protesters shutting down Buford Highway near Chamblee, about 16 miles north of Atlanta, for several hours.

Los Angeles Deportation Protests Tie Up Traffic and Bring City to a Halt

Los Angeles Deportation Protests Tie Up Traffic and Bring City to a Halt

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