Anti-immigration enforcement protestors screamed racism and accused the 47th POTUS of carrying out an “ethnic cleansing plan” in Detroit on Wednesday as federal agents continue to remove dangerous criminals across the region.
“We’re here to stand in solidarity with our fellow organizers and everybody in LA who’s standing up,” Nicole Conaway, an organizer with the militant By Any Means Necessary, told the Detroit Free Press as a dozen gathered outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office on Michigan Avenue. “That’s what we need to do in every city across the country to stop (President Donald) Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan.”
The ”small but vocal group” carried signs that read “ICE out of LA and Detroit Defeat MAGA Fascism!” and “LA has shown the way, immigrants are here to stay,” among others, as they bemoaned the arrests of illegal immigrants at the CBP building.
“If Trump can win this battle, then we’re further down the road to fascism and him being a dictator and not leaving the White House without force,” Conway said.
The tiny demonstration followed others earlier in the day outside the federal courthouse downtown and an ICE field office that drew a dozen or so masked activists, including Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero, WJBK reports.
“It’s just racism. It’s just 100% racism,” one masked and unidentified protestor told the news site.
“This is not what we stand for. This is not what we want,” said Noelle Bellanger with the People’s Assembly of Detroit.
The demonstrations featured flyers asking folks to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “so that people can get resources to help protect them during this time,” WJBK reporter Ingrid Kelley said.
The protests Wednesday came as anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles dragged into the sixth day, as similar chaos erupted in other major cities including Seattle, Tucson, New York, San Antoino and others, CNN reports.
DETROIT RALLY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LOS ANGELES – Stop Trump’s Fascist ICE Raids & Deportations By Any Means Necessary!
Release Detroit Western HS Student Maykol Bogoya-Duarte from ICE Custody NOW!
TOMORROW!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 5:30PM
DETROIT I.C.E. OFFICE
985 MICHIGAN AVE pic.twitter.com/u1FJMQdyUk— BAMN (@followbamn) June 11, 2025
The melee included masked vigilantes waiving Mexican and Palestinian flags as they set vehicles ablaze, hurled rocks and attacked federal agents and police, slashed tires, blocked highways and defaced federal buildings. ICE officials report agents were initially trapped in some locations by over 1,000 protestors for hours without a police response.
Trump over the weekend deployed thousands of National Guard troops to support federal agents and local law enforcement in Los Angeles, a move challenged in court by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The 47th POTUS also activated hundreds of U.S. Marines that were undergoing additional training on Wednesday ahead anticipated deployment this week.
“When called up for this mission, the battalion underwent additional training specific to this mission,” according to a statement from US Northern Command. “This training included de-escalation, crowd-control, and understanding the Standing Rules for the Use of Force.”
In Michigan, efforts to remove criminal illegal immigrants continue, with ICE this week arresting two convicted felons in one day: Almad Fareez Thabateh, a 49-year-old illegal immigrant from Palestine, and Kassim Saleh Wasil, a 70-year-old illegal immigrant from Yemin.
🚨Update: Mass arrest and deportations continue!! ICE just conducted a raid in Detroit, Michigan and arrested 24 illegal aliens! pic.twitter.com/nJlnNu9CYC
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) June 11, 2025
Thabateh was previously convicted or arson in Pontiac, while Wasil has prior convictions for second-degree murder, assault, resisting or obstructing an officer, and cruelty to a dependent adult. Both had a final order of removal from the U.S.
“A convicted murderer and an arsonist are just some of the many public safety threats and immigration violators that our officers work to take off the streets every day,” acting Detroit Field Office Director Kevin Raycraft said in a statement. “I’m proud of their efforts to safeguard communities across Michigan and Ohio.”
Plenty of other bad hombres were arrested by ICE and other federal law enforcement officers in Los Angeles since the riots began on Friday.
They include an illegal immigrant from Mexico with convictions for homicide and burglary; an illegal alien from Cambodia with a criminal history involving dangerous drugs, lewd action with a child, and battery; an illegal immigrant from Laos convicted of lewd acts with a child and inflicting corporal injury; an illegal immigrant from Mexico convicted of drug trafficking; and others, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“The brave men and women of ICE protect our families, friends and neighbors by removing public safety and national security threats from our communities,” ICE acting Director Todd Lyons said in a recent statement. “During President Trump’s first 100 days, ICE alone has arrested over 65,000 illegal aliens — including 2,288 gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. Additionally, 1,329 were accused or convicted of sex offenses, and 498 were accused or convicted of murder.”
The criminal records of those arrested include convictions or charges for 9,639 assaults, 6,398 DWIs or DUIs and 1,479 weapon offenses.
The arrests equated to about 600 per day through the first 100 days, but have increased to about 2,000 per day this week as arrests eclipsed 100,000, CBS News reports.
The pace of arrests dwarf the roughly 300 per day under former President Joe Biden. Under Biden, about 114,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in all of fiscal year 2024, according to ICE data.
