Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned

Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned
People protest against federal immigration sweeps, near the US immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, in New York City, US, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 11 June 2025
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Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned

Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned
  • The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests

AUSTIN, Texas: Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids and prompted President Donald Trump to mobilize National Guard troops and Marines have begun to spread across the country, with more planned into the weekend.
From Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted slogans, carried signs against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds.
Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with “No Kings” events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade through Washington.
The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests.
“ICE will continue to enforce the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Tuesday on social media.
A look at some protests across the country:
San Francisco
About 200 protesters gathered outside the San Francisco Immigration Court on Tuesday after activists said several arrests were made there.
That gathering came after protests on Sunday and Monday swelled to several thousand demonstrators and saw more than 150 arrests with outbreaks of violence that included vandalized buildings, and damaged cars, police vehicles and buses. Police said two officers suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Most of the arrests were Sunday night.
“Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco, but violence, especially against SFPD officers, will never be tolerated,” San Francisco police posted on social media.
Police described Monday’s march as “overwhelmingly peaceful,” but said “two small groups broke off and committed vandalism and other criminal acts.” Several people were detained or arrested, police said.
Seattle
About 50 people gathered outside the immigration court in downtown Seattle on Tuesday, chanting with drums and holding up signs that said, “Free Them All; Abolish ICE” and “No to Deportations.” Protesters began putting scooters in front of building entryways before police arrived.
Mathieu Chabaud, with Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Washington, said they were there in solidarity with the Los Angeles protesters, “and to show that we’re opposed to ICE in our community.”
Legal advocates who normally attend the immigration court hearings as observers and to provide support to immigrants were not allowed inside the building. Security guards also turned away the media. The hearings are normally open to the public.
New York City
A mass of people rallied in lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening to protest deportations and federal immigration policy.
Demonstrators gathered outside two federal buildings that house immigration courts and began marching amid a heavy police presence.
Some protesters held signs reading “ICE out of New York” and others chanted, “Why are you in riot gear? I don’t see no riot here.”
New York City police said multiple people were taken into custody. There were no immediate charges.
Chicago
In Chicago, a small crowd gathered Tuesday outside immigration court in downtown and called for an end to Trump administration immigration sweeps and military presence in California.
“With the militarization of Los Angeles it’s time to get out and let Trump know this is unacceptable,” said retiree Gary Snyderman. “All of this is so unconstitutional.”
The group then marched through downtown streets drumming and chanting, “No more deportations!”
The demonstration had grown to at least a thousand protesters by late Tuesday, remaining relatively peaceful with limited engagement between the group and police officers.
Denver
A group of protesters gathered in front of the Colorado state capitol in Denver on Tuesday, creating a sea of cardboard signs, one exhorting: “Show your faces. ICE cowards.”
The group, inspired by the Los Angeles protests over the past several days, split in half, marching down two different thoroughfares and crowding out traffic.
A large police presence wasn’t seen initially, but a few officers began blocking a street behind the the marchers.
Santa Ana
In Santa Ana near Los Angeles, armored vehicles blocked the road Tuesday morning leading into the Civic Center, where federal immigration officers and numerous city and county agencies have their offices.
Workers swept up plastic bottles and broken glass from Monday’s protests. Tiny shards of red, black and purple glass littered the pavement. Nearby buildings and the sidewalk were tagged with profane graffiti slogans against ICE and had Trump’s name crossed out. A worker rolled paint over graffiti on a wall to block it out.
National Guard officers wearing fatigues and carrying rifles prevented people from entering the area unless they worked there.
While a small group kept up their demonstration Tuesday, several counter-protesters showed up. One man wore a red T-shirt and Make America Great Again cap as he exchanged words with the crowd opposing the raids.
Austin
Four Austin police officers were injured and authorities used chemical irritants to disperse a crowd of several hundred demonstrators Monday night that moved between the state Capitol and a federal building that houses an ICE office. State officials had closed the Capitol to the public an hour early in anticipation of the protest.
Austin police used pepper spray balls and state police used tear gas when demonstrators began trying to deface the federal building with spray paint. The demonstrators then started throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at a police barricade, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. Three officers were injured by “very large” rocks and another was injured while making an arrest, she said.
Austin police arrested eight people, and state police arrested five more. Davis said her department is prepared for Saturday’s planned protest downtown.
“We support peaceful protest,” Davis said. “When that protest turns violent, when it turns to throwing rocks and bottles ... that will not be tolerated. Arrests will be made.”
Dallas
A protest that drew hundreds to a rally on a city bridge lasted for several hours Monday night before Dallas police declared it an “unlawful assembly” and warned people to leave or face possible arrest.
Dallas police initially posted on social media that officers would not interfere with a “lawful and peaceful assembly of individuals or groups expressing their First Amendment rights.” But officers later moved in and media reported seeing some in the crowd throw objects as officers used pepper spray and smoke to clear the area. At least one person was arrested.
“Peaceful protesting is legal,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, posted on X. “But once you cross the line, you will be arrested.”
Boston
Hundreds of people gathered in Boston’s City Hall Plaza on Monday to protest the detainment of union leader David Huerta Friday during immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Protesters held signs reading “Massachusetts stands with our neighbors in Los Angeles” and “Protect our immigrant neighbors,” and shouted, “Come for one, come for all” and “Free David, free them all.”
Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, was released from federal custody later Monday on $50,000 bond.
“An immigrant doesn’t stand between an American worker and a good job, a billionaire does,” said Chrissy Lynch, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
Washington, DC
Several unions gathered Monday in Washington to protest the raids and rally for Huerta’s release, and marched past the Department of Justice building.
Among the demonstrators was US Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state.
“Enough of these mass ICE raids that are sweeping up innocent people,” Jayapal said. “As we see people exercising the constitutional rights to peacefully use their voices to speak out against this injustice, they are being met with tear gas and rubber bullets.”


Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’

Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’
Updated 7 sec ago
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Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’

Russia’s economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession’
  • Minister delivers warning at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
  • Economy ministry also sees export losses due to trade wars at $9 billion

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia: Russia’s economy is “on the brink of going into a recession,” the country’s economy minister said Thursday, according to Russian media reports.
Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov delivered the warning at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event in Russia’s second largest city designed to highlight the country’s economic prowess and court foreign investors.
Russian business news outlet RBC quoted the official as saying “the numbers indicate cooling, but all our numbers are (like) a rearview mirror. Judging by the way businesses currently feel and the indicators, we are already, it seems to me, on the brink of going into a recession.”
The economy, hit with a slew of sanctions after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, has so far outperformed predictions. High defense spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fueling inflation. At the same time, wages have gone up to keep pace with inflation, leaving many workers better off.
Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country’s poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments remain threats to the economy, leaving a question mark over how long the militarized economy can keep going.
Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military.
Speaking at a forum session, Reshetnikov said Russia was “on the brink,” and whether the country would slide into a recession or not depends on the government’s actions.
“Going forward, it all depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, according to RBC.
RBC reported Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Gov. Elvira Nabiullina gave more optimistic assessments.
Siluanov spoke about the economy “cooling” but noted that after any cooling “the summer always comes,” RBC reported.
Nabiullina said Russia’s economy was merely “coming out of overheating,” according to RBC.

Export losses

On the issue of exports, Russia estimates potential losses due to global trade wars at $9 billion, but expects a gradual stabilization of flows and a possible expansion of supplies to China, Deputy Economy Minister Vladimir Ilyichev said.
President Trump has upended longstanding trade relations since returning to the White House, using erratic tariff threats and aggressive negotiating tactics in a bid to secure better deals from trading partners.
“Overall, we estimate the impact on Russia of this reorientation at $33 billion, of which about $9 billion is the potential loss of Russian exports in third-country markets,” said Ilyichev.


ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says
Updated 20 June 2025
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ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

ICE agents asked to leave Dodger Stadium parking lot, team says

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Dodgers organization said Thursday that it asked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to leave the Dodger Stadium grounds after they arrived at a parking lot near one of the gates.
Dozens of federal agents with their faces covered arrived in SUVs and cargo vans to a lot near the stadium’s Gate E entrance. A group of protesters carrying signs against ICE started amassing shortly after, local media reported.
“This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots. They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization,” the team said in a statement posted on X.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agents were not trying to enter the stadium.
“This had nothing to do with the Dodgers.  vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement,” she said in an email.
The team said the game against the San Diego Padres later Thursday will be played as planned.
Television cameras showed about four agents remained at the lot Thursday afternoon while officers with the Los Angeles Police Department stood between them and dozens of protesters, some carrying signs that read “I Like My Ice Crushed” and chanting “ICE out of LA!”
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez arrived at the stadium and said she had been in communication with Dodger officials and the mayor’s office.
“We’ve been in communication with the mayor’s office, with the Dodgers, with Dodgers security, about seeing if they can get them moved off their private property,” she told KABC-TV. “Public property is different. Private property — businesses and corporations have the power to say, ‘Not on my property,’ And so we’re waiting to see that movement happen here.”
Protests began June 6 after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire the following days, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades.
The team has yet to make a statement regarding the arrests and raids. The Dodgers’ heavily Latino fan base have been pushing for the team to make a public statement and ignited a debate online about its stance on the immigration crackdown happening in Los Angeles.
The Trump administration has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objections of city and state leaders. Dozens of troops now guard federal buildings and protect federal agents making arrests.
The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of around 4 million people. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids.
Despite the protests, immigration enforcement activity has continued throughout the county, with city leaders and community groups reporting ICE present at libraries, car washes and Home Depots. School graduations in Los Angeles have increased security over fears of ICE action and some have offered parents the option to watch on Zoom.


Zelensky appoints new ground forces chief

Zelensky appoints new ground forces chief
Updated 20 June 2025
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Zelensky appoints new ground forces chief

Zelensky appoints new ground forces chief

KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Voloydmyr Zelensky on Thursday appointed Gennadiy Shapovalov as commander of the country’s ground forces, replacing a previous commander who resigned following a deadly Russian strike on an army training ground.
Shapovalov worked as a military aid liaison in Germany and previously commanded Ukraine’s southern military district.
In his evening address, Zelensky said he hoped Shapovalov would bring “real combat experience” to the role and called for changes in the Ukrainian army, which is struggling to hold off Moscow’s forces more than three years into Russia’s invasion.
“Changes are needed, this is a mandatory issue,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
Moscow’s forces have been advancing across the front line for over a year and have been making inroads in Ukraine’s Sumy region, which the Kremlin had not occupied since the start of the war.
Peace talks on ending the conflict have stalled in recent weeks and Kyiv’s biggest ally, Washington, is now focusing its attention on the Middle East.
Russia says it is open to a peace settlement but Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately sabotaging talks to prolong the fighting.


EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel

EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel
Updated 19 June 2025
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EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel

EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel
  • Bloc set to discuss relations with Israel next week
  • ICJ says countries’ trade should not support settlements

BRUSSELS: Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.
The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements.
The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation.
“We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,” the ministers wrote.
“We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court,” they added.
Israel’s diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law.
“Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities,” the minister said in a statement to Reuters.
“This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation,” he said.
The ministers’ letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc’s relationship with Israel.
Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel’s adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza.


Review: Shawn Chidiac’s stand-up comedy shows London what ‘Laughing in Translation’ is

Review: Shawn Chidiac’s stand-up comedy shows London what ‘Laughing in Translation’ is
Updated 19 June 2025
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Review: Shawn Chidiac’s stand-up comedy shows London what ‘Laughing in Translation’ is

Review: Shawn Chidiac’s stand-up comedy shows London what ‘Laughing in Translation’ is
  • Shawn Chidiac is one of the best up-and-coming Arab comedians with over 645,000 followers on Instagram
  • His comedic qualities stem from his ability to perform personas and accents inspired by the people he interacts with in Dubai

LONDON: The stand-up comedian Shawn Chidiac’s first challenge upon arriving in London last week was getting used to looking right before crossing the road. However, when he finally did, he bumped into a cyclist who swore at him and sped off.

Chidiac, who is based in the UAE, swore back angrily at the cyclist, an act he would not do in Dubai but felt compelled to since he was on an island where 57 percent of people swear most days. He was in the UK to perform “Laughing in Translation,” his first solo stand-up comedy show since he became a full-time comedian and content creator in 2023.

With over 645,000 followers on his @myparents_are_divorced page on Instagram, he is one of the best up-and-coming Arab comedians. Chidiac’s parents are, indeed, divorced, and the audience at the nearly sold-out show at Shaw Theatre needed no reminder of this. Some of them were eager to share with him that their parents were also divorced.

 The UAE-based comedian Shawn Chidiac performs his ‘Laughing in Translation’ stand-up comedy show at Shaw Theatre in London, UK, June 15, 2025. (AN Photo: Bahar Hussain)

In a previous conversation with Arab News, the comedian said he likes “connecting as many people as possible through (comedy stories about my) upbringing. Whoever has lived in the Gulf will have a similar story or narrative in their minds.”

Before delving into his childhood and adult life experiences in Dubai, he guided the audience through a brief inner journey, using the commanding, deep voice of an Indian yoga guru, asking them to close their eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale. The audience — mostly young people, some of whom were Arabs or had Arab roots — struggled to maintain a sense of calm.

One of Chidiac’s comedic qualities is his ability to perform personas and accents inspired by the people he interacts with or has witnessed throughout his life in the Gulf, which became a melting pot of nationalities, languages, religions, and cultures. He was born in Canada to a family originally from Lebanon, but they later moved to Dubai, where he was primarily raised by his mother.

He told the crowd that he went to the Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, expecting an English narrator dressed in a three-piece suit, similar to those he had seen in “Downton Abbey” and other historical TV dramas. Instead, he encountered a man from Punjab complaining about the increasing number of immigrants in the UK.

Audience attending Shawn Chidiac's ‘Laughing in Translation’ stand-up comedy show at Shaw Theatre in London, UK, June 15, 2025. (AN Photo: Bahar Hussain)

Thanks to the “Chinese DVD man” who roamed the neighborhoods of Dubai, Chidiac was able to keep up with the latest comedy shows and newly released films that his classmates were watching while he attended an expensive school where he was the poorest student. As he was known, the “Chinese DVD man” always had a secret compartment in his suitcase, which did not contain action, racing, or historical movies but another, unnamed genre that sold out quickly.

Chidiac told Arab News that such stories “(come from) the people I know and see, and the things I do, and my interaction with them. So, the more interaction I have, the better it is, which is hard because I’m a massive introvert.”

His interactions in Dubai span many nationalities and cultures. Whether in hospital, where he recently endured the ordeal of kidney stones and had to communicate with a Filipino nurse and an Egyptian doctor, or on a horse riding date with a British woman, which unexpectedly landed him in the sand. When the doctors presented him with options for removing the kidney stones, he chose the shockwave lithotripsy. “As an Arab, I chose the explosives,” he said.