{"id":207071,"date":"2025-09-07T07:34:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T07:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/207071\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T07:34:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T07:34:27","slug":"thousands-march-downtown-to-protest-trumps-deportation-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/207071\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands March Downtown To Protest Trump’s Deportation Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"

DOWNTOWN \u2014 Thousands of Chicagoans \u2014 families, veterans, youths and even their dogs \u2014 spent hours marching Downtown Saturday to peacefully protest the Trump administration\u2019s plans for a large-scale immigration enforcement surge this month.<\/p>\n

The march, organized by a group of progressive political organizations under the name Coalition Against the Trump Agenda, began at the Congress Plaza Garden before taking to the streets. It passed by a federal immigration building, Trump Tower and concluded on Michigan Avenue, where musicians played and chants echoed several blocks before marchers dispersed without incident.<\/p>\n

The protest drew about 3,000 people, many hoisting handmade signs, pictures and flags that showed support for Mexican Independence Day, Palestine and Chicago pride. No federal agents or troops could be seen, despite threats of deportations and a military incursion levied by the president on social media earlier in the day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ProtestersProtesters dance following a protest against immigration raids in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Credit: Talia Sprague\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n

Federal agents \u2014 who are staying\u00a0at the Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 are expected to\u00a0focus on making immigration arrests and conducting raids<\/a>\u00a0in and around Chicago\u00a0for more than a month<\/a>. Trump has also said he is considering sending the National Guard to the city, though it is unclear when that might happen.<\/p>\n

Local leaders have criticized Trump\u2019s plans and said the federal government has provided little information on what to expect. Gov. JB Pritzker said agents\u00a0could target Mexican Independence Day celebrations<\/a>, and Grant Park\u2019s El Grito Chicago festival\u00a0was postponed<\/a>\u00a0by organizers for that reason. Saturday\u2019s Mexican parade in Pilsen was peaceful and brought a larger crowd out to the festivities this year, organizers said.<\/p>\n

Eileen Murphy, of Uptown, attended the march holding a weathered sign reading, \u201cWe march to protect civility, not fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had this sign for eight years,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThis is my original sign and it\u2019s still applicable.\u201d <\/p>\n

She made her sign for the 2017 Women\u2019s March in Washington D.C. when Trump took office the first time, and it still rings true now, she said. She called the protest a \u201cmonumental continuum\u201d and part of the same movement from 2017.<\/p>\n

\"\"Eileen Murphy, of Uptown, smiles for a photo with her sign she made eight years ago for the Women\u2019s March of 2017. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n

Murphy, a physician, volunteers at a free health clinic for those who are uninsured and undocumented. She said the protest represented Chicago\u2019s strong immigrant roots and its powerful stance against the current political climate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not going away \u2014 goodness, equity and humanity will prevail, and so we\u2019ve got some work to get there but this is going to pass, this will pass,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cChicago is by definition supportive of immigrants. \u2026 I am the daughter of immigrants that came over during the Irish potato famines. Ask any of us, unless you are Native American, you are an immigrant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay Starks, of Hyde Park, reflected on how the protest brought multiple groups of people together for a common cause. A member of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Starks has been working to get the referendum for community power over policing<\/a> \u2014 which failed to get on the 2022 ballot but would give residents control over policing directly to voters \u2014 on the next ballot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was getting involved with that, since it\u2019s all the same struggle, that\u2019s what got me here,\u201d Starks said. \u201cI also want to get more support for workers and immigrant rights\u201d on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ProtestersProtesters flip off Trump Tower during a protest against immigration raids in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Credit: Talia Sprague\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n

The protest drew curious eyes from tourists, security guards and people eating at nearby restaurants, including Chicago\u2019s bucket boys who chanted \u201cF\u2014 Trump, f\u2014 ICE!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Downtown protest was positive and empowering for Logan Square resident Jacob Kratzwald, who recently moved to the city and wanted to show his opposition for the Trump administration. It was his first Chicago protest but it won\u2019t be his last, he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cOpposing state violence is a good thing,\u201d Kratzwald said. \u201cWith the administration sliding towards fascism, you have a duty as a citizen to stand up and fight back, which is also rooted in having common decency for your neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DOWNTOWN \u2014 Thousands of Chicagoans \u2014 families, veterans, youths and even their dogs \u2014 spent hours marching Downtown…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":207072,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,1322,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-207071","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-featured","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115161862269217103","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207071\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}