Inauguration day occurred Jan 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump began his 2nd term in office. The Inauguration ceremony took place in Washington D.C where many supporters attended. Trump spoke about his visions and goals for the country for the next 4 years, while many applauded and celebrated, others took a different approach and planned protests against his policies with the main one regarding immigrants. As President Trump’s policies began, many cities including Los Angeles were filled with crowds protesting against said policies.

According to multiple news updates and articles, ICE is arresting migrants with no criminal records. In Chicago, there were almost 1,200 arrests within ONE day and almost half had no records. 52% of those arrests were deemed criminal arrests while the rest seem to be nonviolent offenders and others whose only crime was crossing the border illegally. While reviewing arrests, only eight were “worst criminals arrested” and two of those were gang members. Although being undocumented is not a crime but a civil offense, it is a crime when a previously deported decides to reenter the United States without permission. It is still unknown how many of the 566 non-criminals were there a second time illegally. According to President Donald Trump, he has repeatedly been saying he will prioritize the deportations of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. Still, with the high numbers, it’s doubtful he is keeping his word. 

On February 2, 2025, thousands of people filled the streets of Los Angeles waving Mexican, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran flags. In the crowd, you’d see posters with slogans such as “Don’t bite the hands that feed you”, “No one is illegal on stolen land”, etc. The protest was set out at approximately 11 am and marched throughout the streets of Los Angeles. The protesters took over the 101 freeway, but at around 8 pm it reopened and Los Angeles police were able to keep people off. This protest is believed to be ongoing as activists continue to gather and fight for the rights of immigrants who cannot speak up.

A Day Without Immigrants took place on February 3, 2025. This protest involves immigrants staying home from work and school to show the economy and communities their importance. There is an estimated amount of 45.3 million immigrants living in the United States so a day without immigrants could make a difference. People unite to call for fair treatment and equal rights for everyone. The day emphasizes the important work immigrants do in various jobs and brings attention to the challenges they face with immigration. South El Monte high school students took a role in this movement and did not attend school.  I have interviewed a few students who will be kept anonymous and in my first interview, I asked 3 simple questions revolving around the day. I asked, “What do you think about the day without immigrants” They replied, “I thought it was inspiring for all these people to step up and are willing to fight for fair treatment.” I secondly asked why they decided to participate and they replied, “I wanted to show that our presence is important and does have an effect.” I lastly asked how they spent their day and heard back, “I spent the day with my parents and I can honestly feel a shift in their energy and it made me quite upset seeing them this way.” 

Protests and movements like this show how strong and united immigrant communities are, even when facing tough situations. These events remind us how important immigrants are to our society and economy and how they deserve fair treatment. The fight for equality isn’t over, and these protests keep pushing for change by giving a voice to those who want to be treated with respect.