Hundreds gather to protest ICE raids in Chicago, Los Angeles

Hundreds of people gathered outside 50 E. Adams St. in the Loop Tuesday afternoon to protest the ongoing immigration raids by the Trump administration.

It was the first of two protests against recent ICE arrests to hit Chicago’s streets Tuesday, the latest in a string of demonstrations in support of immigrant communities in the city.

Mariana Gonzalez and Lizbeth Alvarez were walking downtown when they heard chants coming from nearby.

Gonzalez and Alvarez joined other protesters as they called for an end to the raids.

“I thought the raids would stop, but they’re just getting worse,” said Gonzalez, 16. “My parents are immigrants from Mexico and they can’t be [out here] but we can.”

Alvarez, also 16, “no matter how small, we’re using our voices and it sends a message.”

Several social justice groups are planning protests around the city. A second rally will start at Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St., at 5:30 p.m. and a mass protest is scheduled for Saturday.

Here’s what we know:

Who are the protest organizers?

It’s unclear who the lead organizer is for the 3 p.m. demonstration at immigration court.

In an Instagram post, Lake Effect Collective shared the details for the protest and stated: “We’ve been sent an anonymous submission to share widely, calling for an autonomous demo outside the immigration courthouse.”

Tuesday evening’s protest at Federal Plaza is organized by the Party for Socialism & Liberation, Casa DuPage, the ANSWER Coalition, 25th Ward IPO and other groups.

In a release, organizers say they’re gathering to “defend immigrant rights and lift up the international struggle against extreme-right, anti-immigrant sentiment.”

“As the Democratic Party stands idly while the assault on free speech and immigrant rights continues,” Nino Brown of the Party for Socialism and Liberation said in the statement, “working-class people of color who are the most disproportionately impacted by an attack on immigrant rights are organizing to fight back and protect our communities.”

Why are they demonstrating?

The protests follow President Donald Trump’s monthslong campaign against immigration, as the government ramps up the number of arrests immigration officers must make each day.

Last week, at least 10 immigrants were arrested in the South Loop. The individuals showed up for routine immigration appointments but were instead detained by federal immigration agents. Local advocates and public officials attempted to block the agents from arresting them.

Activists and friends gathered outside an immigration processing center in Broadview the next day to call on those arrested to be released.

Protesters rallied in Pilsen Sunday in response to last week’s arrests. Another rally was held in Daley Plaza Monday to denounce the arrests and President Trump’s new travel ban on a dozen mostly African and Middle Eastern countries.

Are the protests connected to what’s happening in Los Angeles?

Yes. Organizers say they’re also rallying in solidarity with the protests in Los Angeles. The largely peaceful demonstrations that started Friday intensified over the weekend after President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s permission, with the first wave arriving on Sunday.

The extraordinary move spurred anger from protesters and lawmakers. Trump then deployed another 2,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to the city Monday.

“Cities across the country are taking to the streets throughout the week in a national call to action to demobilize ICE and the National Guard from attacking and occupying our communities,” organizers for Tuesday evening’s protest said in a news release.

Are more protests expected this week?

Advocacy organizations like Indivisible Chicago are planning a mass “No Kings Day of Defiance” protest at noon Saturday to protest the ICE arrests and the Trump administration’s policies. According to the group’s website, similar protests are set to kick off in more than 1,000 cities across the country.

The rallies are intended to counter the military parade Trump has planned to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. In a statement released on Sunday during the protests in Los Angeles, organizers said, “President Trump wants you to believe that the people of Los Angeles are destroying their own communities. That’s false. Here’s the truth: people are peacefully and lawfully protesting the Administration’s abuses of power and the abduction of their neighbors by ICE.”

Contributing: Adriana Cardona, AP