Protests against immigration raids spread to multiple U.S. cities

Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids and prompted President Donald Trump to mobilize National Guard troops and Marines, who 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 (ICE) 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 on social media on Tuesday.

In 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." More than a dozen people were arrested on Monday, including 24 people who were taken into custody during a sit-in outside of Trump Tower.

In Chicago, a crowd gathered outside an immigration court downtown on Tuesday and called for an end to the Trump administration immigration sweeps and military presence in California. The demonstration had grown to at least 1,000 protesters by late Tuesday, remaining relatively peaceful with limited engagement between the group and police officers. Several arrests were made throughout the day.

In Philadelphia, about 150 protesters gathered outside the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon and marched to ICE headquarters for speeches and then back to the detention center, according to Philadelphia police.

A group then walked through what police called major roads using bicycles to obstruct officers, prompting police to issue several orders for people to disperse. Police said demonstrators ignored the orders and things escalated when officers started arresting people. Fifteen people were arrested, police said. 

In Boston, hundreds of people gathered in Boston's City Hall Plaza on Monday to protest the detainment of union leader David Huerta during immigration raids in Los Angeles on Friday.  

Other cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C., Denver, Dallas and Austin are either experiencing ongoing protests or anticipating future ones. 

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus confirmed that Texas Governor Greg Abbott had deployed members of the state's National Guard to the city in anticipation of protests expected this week, Assistant Chief Jesse Salame told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"We don't have any additional details about their deployment," Salame said.

Soldiers were "on standby in areas where mass demonstrations are planned in case they are needed," Abbott's spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said Tuesday evening.

(With input from AP)