Hundreds rallied in Dallas Monday night to protest the Trump administration's ramped-up deportation efforts and to show support for demonstrators in Los Angeles — where four days of protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and the threat of thousands of National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines.
Dallas police formed a line at the west entrance to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and closed it off to traffic for about an hour before opening up the westbound lane. Police declared the protests an unlawful assembly around 10 p.m., and about an hour later, aimed a spray of pepper balls in the direction of protestors, pushing them back.
The crowd dispersed by midnight, and despite some tense moments later in the evening, the demonstration was almost entirely peaceful.
Some on the West Dallas end of the bridge held signs: "End Mass Deportations," "Immigrants Make America Great Again," "I Stand For Those Who Can't." They lit small firecrackers. Others waved American, Mexican and Palestinian flags. They chanted "abolish ICE" and other slogans against Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
All expressed anger and frustration with the administration.
"It just kind of solidifies the feeling that the government's really not looking out for us," Edith González, 27 from Dallas, said about the administration and law enforcement response in L.A. "They're going to go way out of their way to silence whatever our people have to say, and just emphasizing oppression by any means necessary, which to them is violence."
González, a first-generation American whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, said the immigration crackdowns feel personal.
"My parents are also immigrants," she said. "They fought for everything that we have today. It's not an uncommon story — we see it time and time again, and it's not going away anytime soon, so we have to stick up for each other and make sure we keep each other safe."
In a city home to one of the largest undocumented populations in Texas, that feeling was shared by many in attendance.
Through tears, 31-year-old Dallas resident Crystal Calixto talked about her mother, who came to the U.S. with seven children. All are citizens now, but Calixto's afraid for others like her.
"It's sad that people are still living in fear," Calixto said. "We still have family members, and just friends and everything that are still undocumented, and they're having to be scared every day of going to work, going to school."
Dozens in L.A. have been arrested since the protests began. At least five police officers were injured in confrontations with protestors, according to local authorities. It's not clear how many protestors have been injured, but video and photos from the scene show police opening fire with gas canisters and other projectiles. At least one journalist appears to have been hit with a "nonlethal" round — a term used to describe things like rubber and plastic bullets, which have been known to cause death and permanent disability.
One viral video appeared to show mounted L.A. police circling a protestor as their horses stomped down on the person's body.
The protests also led to damage and destruction to property, including car fires.
Gov. Greg Abbott was vocal in his support of Trump's response, writing on social media that "an organized assault has been waged against federal law enforcement officials."
Demonstrations against ICE have been seen across the country since Trump returned to office in January with the promise to launch "the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America. Protesters argue ICE tactics are heavy-handed, while the government is warning bystanders not to interfere with agents.
The most recent series of protests is in response to law enforcement showing up to detain immigrants in workplaces and courthouses, including Dallas.
Federal agents were seen last month arresting people outside immigration court in Dallas. An attorney told KERA News she saw at least three people detained after they were told their cases had been dismissed. She said as soon as they left the courtroom, plainclothes ICE agents were waiting to arrest them.
Texas officers could also be obligated to enforce immigration laws soon under a bill the state Legislature sent to Abbott last week requiring most sheriffs to cooperate with ICE officers.
Senate Bill 8 would require sheriffs who run or contract out operations of a jail to request and enter agreements with ICE under a federal law that lets ICE extend limited immigration authority to local law enforcement officers. The bill would cover about 234 of the state's 254 counties, according to a bill author.
Dallas's new Police Chief Daniel Comeaux faced backlash in recent weeks after making his first public remarks about immigration by saying DPD will assist federal immigration authorities if asked, according to The Dallas Morning News.
"If our federal partners need us to assist them, we'll assist them," Comeaux told The Dallas Morning when asked if he'll direct Dallas officers to assist ICE officers.
Comeaux made similar comments in an interview with FOX News but has since backtracked, saying it was "taken out of context."
The Dallas Community Police Oversight Board voted 11-4 Friday to send a letter to Comeaux, requesting that he clarify his position.
"Specifically, we want to understand how your leadership navigates the complex balance between compliance with federal mandates and responsiveness to the local community's well-being," the letter states. "Articulating your overarching vision and approach to leadership in these circumstances would be particularly valuable in helping the Board fulfill its mandate."
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