More New York City protests took place Monday, along with similar demonstrations across the country, against immigration raids conducted by the Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, as tensions escalate in Los Angeles and the president's new travel ban takes effect.
Protests were largely peaceful in Foley Square Monday, with a dozen or so speakers. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams called the new travel ban "steeped in white supremacy," while others drew parallels to Donald Trump's 2017 ban. They say the new rule is an extension of that -- and more changes may come.
Mario Bruzzone, of the New York Immigration Coalition, said that "350,000 New Yorkers are born in countries affected by this ban."
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WATCH HEREOver the weekend, President Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard soldiers to downtown Los Angeles, which became the flash point for protests nationwide as thousands took to the streets, shutting down major highways as troops used tear gas and other law enforcement measures to try to subdue the crowd.
The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention center where protesters concentrated. In Lower Manhattan, a much smaller contingent of protesters got involved in a standoff with police around Federal Plaza Saturday, looking to stop ongoing immigration raids.
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SIGN UP At least nine protesters were taken into custody.
On Monday, about 700 Marines were mobilized to support National Guard troops assigned to protect federal personnel in Los Angeles, according to two defense officials.
"[Protesters] are here today because these are our neighbors," one demonstrator told News 4 Saturday. "It's a catch-22: these people are following the law, they are going to their hearings, their check-ups."
In recent weeks, federal authorities have reportedly been grabbing migrants who appear at court for routine appointments. Many have been whisked off, and court officials close their cases. Demonstrators say the NYPD isn't supposed to be collaborating with ICE and that's what the department is doing.
In a social media statement, the Department of Homeland Security referred to Saturday's protesters as "rioters."
"Outside a federal law enforcement building in New York City, more than 150 rioters erupted to interfere with ICE’s immigration enforcement operations. Thankfully, unlike in Los Angeles, the local police department quickly responded to the riots," the agency wrote on X.
Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch appeared to be signaling that everything is being done to avoid having National Guard troops deployed to the city.
"I was on the phone all weekend with federal partners...we know how to police protests in a manner that maintains public safety and upholds the law," said Tisch.
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Local officials called Monday for any protests to remain peaceful.
Amid escalating tensions over immigration enforcement, Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday. One speaker at a rally on Monday said the new travel ban keeps him from seeing his grandmother back home, after he moved to the U.S. from Iran.
"I can't see my grandmother. Plans for a visa are down the drain," said Mammad Mahmoodi.
The proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don’t hold a valid visa.
