Trump mass deportation plans spark protest in downtown St. Louis

Government, Politics & Issues

St. Louis-area immigration advocates march against Trump deportation plans

漏 2024 外网天堂 | By Brian Munoz

Published February 1, 2025 at 8:35 PM CST

Miguel Marquez, 57, throws his hands in the air while marching alongside roughly 1,000 area protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Miguel Marquez, 57, throws his hands in the air while marching alongside roughly 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday in downtown St. Louis.

The booming beating of drums, chants and cheers echoed as around 1,000 people took to downtown St. Louis streets on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies 鈥� including ramping up mass deportations across the country.

鈥淪ay it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here,鈥� one protester called into a bullhorn with another later yelling: 鈥淣o ICE. No KKK. No racist USA.鈥�

Amanda Cruz, one of the march鈥檚 organizers from Granite City, had known she wanted to take action the day Trump was sworn in, sensing that 鈥渢hings would get bad.鈥�

However, some community activists have questioned whether now is the best time for such protests, citing concerns over what they see as an increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the region.

鈥淭he protest itself doesn鈥檛 do anything. It鈥檚 the people that it brings out 鈥� who can make a change,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淲hen people see we鈥檙e in numbers like this 鈥� that does make change.鈥�

Gloria Cruz, 36, of Mehlville, right, and her 13-year-old daughter Isabella, left, wait for a rally to start as roughly 1,000 area residents protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Gloria Cruz, 36, of Mehlville, right, and her 13-year-old daughter Isabella wait for a rally to start as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday at Kiener Plaza.

Two days before the protest, employees at a Mexican restaurant in O鈥橣allon, Missouri, from the restaurant, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The individuals were later released when federal agents found none had criminal records.

漏 2024 外网天堂 reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to confirm details of the enforcement efforts in the St. Louis region. The federal agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Despite the heightened fear in the community, Gloria Cruz, 36, of Mehlville, stood side by side with her 13-year-old daughter Isabella, both draped in Mexican flags, at the protest Saturday. Cruz explained she participated in the march to amplify the voices of those unable to attend.

鈥淚 work in a Mexican restaurant,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have family members that are illegal, unfortunately, because it's hard to get their status.鈥�

Miguel Marquez, 57, echoed similar sentiments as he marched, holding a large banner that read: 鈥淓ventually you鈥檒l run out of people to exploit.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of people are very scared right now. I am scared too,鈥� he said in Spanish. 鈥淏ut I have to go out despite the fear because we have to defend our rights.鈥�

See more photos from the march and rally:

Roughly 1,000 area residents protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday in downtown St. Louis.

Genne Quiche, 27, of St. Ann, chants alongside 1,000 area residents protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis.鈥淲e have to raise our voice because if we don鈥檛, we鈥檒l never be heard,鈥� she said in Spanish. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here because we want to have a better future and support our families.鈥� — Genne Quiche, 27, of St. Ann, chants alongside 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday.鈥淲e have to raise our voice because if we don鈥檛, we鈥檒l never be heard,鈥� she said in Spanish. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here because we want to have a better future and support our families.鈥�

Ava Diaz, 13, protests President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies alongside roughly 1,000 area residents on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Ava Diaz, 13, protests President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies alongside roughly 1,000 people on Saturday.

Roughly 1,000 area residents protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies in downtown St. Louis.

Isabel Diaz, of St. Louis鈥� Carondelet neighborhood, chants as roughly 1,000 area residents protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Isabel Diaz, of St. Louis鈥� Carondelet neighborhood, chants as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday in downtown St. Louis.

Sofia Rodriguez, 19, of Webster Groves, protests President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. 鈥淭his is a community and a country that is built off people who wanted to make opportunities for themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are a country that is built off diversity.鈥� — Sofia Rodriguez, 19, of Webster Groves, protests President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday. 鈥淭his is a community and a country that is built off people who wanted to make opportunities for themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are a country that is built off diversity.鈥�

Andrea Long, 31, of Defiance, center, joins about 1,000 area residents to protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Andrea Long, 31, of Defiance, center, joins about 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday.

Adriana Guitierrez, 19, Braden Alanis, 18, and Gezel Urbina, 18, all of Breckenridge Hills, chants alongside 1,000 area residents to protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 mass deportation plans on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — From left: Adriana Guitierrez, 19; Braden Alanis, 18, and Gezel Urbina, 18, all of Breckenridge Hills, chant alongside 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies.

Devin Madden, 32, of St. Ann, joins about 1,000 area residents to protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not right,鈥� he said of the latest federal immigration agency鈥檚 actions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not fair they鈥檙e deporting innocent, hardworking people looking for a better life.鈥� — Devin Madden, 32, of St. Ann, joins about 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not right,鈥� he said of the latest federal immigration agency鈥檚 actions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not fair they鈥檙e deporting innocent, hardworking people looking for a better life.鈥�

Cristina Arias, 32, of Florissant, marches alongside roughly 1,000 area residents to protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Cristina Arias, 32, of Florissant, marches alongside roughly 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday.

Washington Avenue residents peer outside their windows as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Washington Avenue residents peer outside their windows as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies.

Jasmine Garcia, 25, of St. Charles, marches alongside roughly 1,000 area residents protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Jasmine Garcia, 25, of St. Charles, marches alongside roughly 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies outside City Hall in downtown St. Louis.

Washington Avenue patrons throw their firsts in the air as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — Washington Avenue patrons throw their firsts in the air as roughly 1,000 people protest President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies.

Ricardo Gaspariano, 16, of south St. Louis, joins roughly 1,000 area residents protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. 鈥淚 came out for my people. I also have family who doesn鈥檛 have proper authorization to be here but they came here to work,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many people who think Mexican people [鈥 come here to mess things up. But in realty, we come here to work for our kids because we didn鈥檛 have that in Latin America.鈥� — Ricardo Gaspariano, 16, of south St. Louis, joins roughly 1,000 people protesting President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration policies on Saturday in downtown St. Louis. 鈥淚 came out for my people. I also have family who doesn鈥檛 have proper authorization to be here but they came here to work,鈥� he said in Spanish. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many people who think Mexican people鈥� come here to mess things up. But in reality, we come here to work for our kids because we didn鈥檛 have that in... Latin America.鈥�

A chalking calling for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement near Kiener Plaza on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. — A chalking calling for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement near Kiener Plaza on Saturday in downtown St. Louis