Anti-ICE protestors shut down both directions of the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles on Sunday as part of an organized response to President Trump’s deportations of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The protest began at Placita Olvera on Olvera Street, and had grown to thousands by midday.
The protestors first walked onto the southbound lanes of the 101 and blocked both lanes of traffic by 12:30 p.m., KTLA reported. Minutes later, LAPD issued a traffic advisory on X, writing: “Spring St, Main St, Los Angeles St as well as Arcadia and the 101 Freeway both North and South are under major gridlock in the DTLA area.”
Both lanes of traffic briefly reopened an hour later only to be shut down again by the group. At 4 p.m. PST LAPD again issued a traffic advisory. “Demonstrators have exited the 101 freeway. Aliso and Main St have lanes blocked with vehicles and people standing on the roadway. Demonstrators are forming at the steps of City Hall as well,” the police wrote on X.
Trump used his first day in office to sign several executive orders meant to severely restrict the flow of immigration into the United States. One order was meant to end birthright citizenship in the U.S.; in a second, Trump put a pause on the admission of refugees into the country.
Officials from ICE began to arrest undocumented immigrants within days.
