Dozens Gather in Downtown Miami Joining Nationwide Protest Against ICE Operations
Demonstrators gathered at the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami on Friday evening, joining a nationwide wave of protests targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The assembly, which grew to several dozen participants along Biscayne Boulevard, was part of a broader “general strike” urging Americans to abstain from work, school, and commerce to oppose the federal government’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
Local organizers, including members of the Democratic Socialists of America, led chants calling for the abolition of the agency and an immediate halt to deportations. The protest was catalyzed by the recent deaths of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and Renee Good, incidents that have intensified public scrutiny of federal enforcement tactics. Speakers at the Miami rally argued that these actions represent a systematic attack on immigrant communities and claimed that the current enforcement strategies threaten the safety of working-class families throughout South Florida.
Conversely, supporters of the enforcement operations contend that ICE performs a critical function in maintaining national security and public safety. Federal officials have stated that recent initiatives are strictly designed to target criminal elements and enforce existing immigration laws, dismissing the characterization of their operations as indiscriminate violence. The administration has maintained that the individuals targeted in recent raids posed serious threats to public order, a narrative that stands in stark contrast to the accounts provided by the families of those detained.
While protests in other major cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis resulted in significant traffic disruptions and heightened tensions with law enforcement, the Miami event remained focused on visibility and vocal opposition. The gathering underscores the deepening political polarization regarding border security and interior enforcement policies as activists pledge to continue their resistance against what they view as the inhumane treatment of non-citizens.
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