‘Down with deportations!’ shouted by thousands at Detroit’s Clark Park amid minor confrontations

Several thousand people of all ages and backgrounds packed one of the oldest parks in Southwest Detroit on Saturday, June 14, in the early afternoon, participating in the protest called “No Kings Day” convened by local social movements and organizations as part of a nationwide movement.

The nationwide protests, mainly against Trump’s presidency, took place on the same day as the military parade in Washington D.C. to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, but also Trump’s 79th birthday. Ranging between $25 million to $45 million in cost, the military parade gathered nearly 7,000 soldiers and 150 vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as military flyovers from 50 aircraft. 

The Detroit gathering was one of dozens held across Michigan and more than 1,500 nationally, gathering from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands in major cities. Other Michigan cities hosting protests included Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Ferndale, and even as far away as Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula.

Pro-immigration and anti-Trump administration slogans in English and Spanish were heard all across Clark Park as more demonstrators continued coming to the rally, filling the surroundings as far as the eye could see.

Just minutes after the scheduled start of the rally, a scuffle broke out between motorcyclists and some demonstrators, shortly after a group of bikers, members of the Detroit Highwaymen, arrived, claiming they were there to ensure order in support of the nation. Brief moments of shoving and shouting followed the altercation before volunteers, part of the organization, stepped in to calm the situation.

Police arrived moments later to help disperse the crowd. No arrests were reported.

As thousands of attendees raised their voices, a wide range of concerns and causes rose with them. While many of the chants expressed strong opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal policies impacting undocumented immigrants, calling for Detroit to become a sanctuary city, demonstrators also raised their voices in support of the LGBTQ+ community and protest of what they say is a genocide in Gaza.

Several speakers, including local activist leaders and Democratic Michigan politicians, gave their words in English and Spanish to the attendees.

Among the speakers, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) shared passionate comments to the public, expressing her support for the Detroit community in resisting the current federal administration and its latest policies impacting Detroit’s community and across the state.  

“When I look at all of you, you don’t have to have a ZIP code in Detroit to understand that fascism hurts all of us. Many of you have your stance in why you’re here,” Tlaib told the crowd “Maybe immigrant rights. Maybe Free Free Palestine. Maybe LGBTQ. Maybe it’s fighting to make sure workers are protected. Maybe saying you will not dismantle education in our country. Whatever issue, the more we are connected, the more dangerous we become to this administration.”

Tlaib also emphasized support for immigrant families affected by federal border agents, mentioning Maykol Bogoya-Duarte, an 18-year-old Colombian high school student who was arrested by ICE and has lost his appeal to stay in the country; consequently, he will be deported soon.

“You showing up like this to show that we’re going to resist; them kidnapping Maykol; them kidnapping our family members; them ignoring Supreme Court decisions; them going around Congress to go to war; all of these fascist, unconstitutional, unlawful decisions only can be fought when we resist in the streets,” Tlaib said.

As the rally continued, some counter-protesters approached carrying flags and signs, sparking minor confrontations involving shoving and insults while they walked through the crowd. Volunteer protesters helped to disperse and avoid confrontations.

Among them, holding the American flag, was Andre Williams, 24, who expressed support for current ICE activities, claiming that undocumented immigrants should be deported to prioritize the American labor force. He also made remarks against the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’m an American who is tired of seeing people supporting illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is a big problem in this country.” Said Williams. “You’ve got big corporations that use illegal immigrants as economic pawns. They will sit back and abuse these people and advocate for them to be here. We want American workers to be employed.”

Williams was repeatedly surrounded by volunteers and escorted out of the rally. They held hands around him and gently pushed toward the edges of the crowd, sparking tense moments filled with shouting and insults from demonstrators.

A community also built by immigrants

A few days earlier, on Wednesday morning, pro-immigrant activist groups reported that five or six individuals, four of them believed to be Venezuelan, were detained following the dismissal of their immigration cases in court. That same day, demonstrators gathered outside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in the morning and later in the afternoon at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office.

An ICE spokesman told the Detroit Free Press that ICE officers can make civil immigration arrests near courthouses if they have credible information and as long as local laws don’t prohibit it.

The activists stated that these practices against immigrants are intensifying in Detroit.

A few blocks away from where these activists rallied, Ofelia Torres, 29, a Detroit resident, arrived at the “No Kings Day” protest carrying a Mexican-American flag. She mentioned that her grandparents helped build the city after immigrating directly to Michigan in the 1970s.

“In the 1970s, my grandparents were immigrant workers from Mexico who helped build the Renaissance Center, which is the largest landmark in this city, this border town that people often forget. So that’s the reason why my parents, my siblings, and I were born and raised here,” Torres said.

“Every time I see downtown, I know this city was built by my grandparents and so many others,” Torres emphasized.

A few steps from her, holding a Mexican flag and a sign that read “Orgullo Latino”, which means “Latino Pride” in English, followed by “Every damn day,” Leonardo Enriquez, 23, a Detroit resident, shared that he is the son of Mexican immigrants who came from Guadalajara more than fifteen years ago and have been working ever since.

“It’s sad to see that he’s afraid to go out and be outside because of everything that’s happening, and he’s just doing what he can to support his family. I’m here because my mom and dad couldn’t make it today,I wanted to represent them,” Enriquez said.

Around 4 pm, after the speeches ended, attendees began to march from Clark Park to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office. The American flag and flags from different countries, such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Argentina, were waved along with signs through Mexicantown streets and Michigan Avenue by protesters as they chanted and marched.

Marching at the front of the crowd, Silvana Palma, an Argentine immigrant, held and waved the light blue and white flag with the sun at its center. She shared that she arrived 15 years ago and has lived in Detroit ever since.

“I just hope things work out for us, and that we’re given the same right to live here as anyone else,” Palma said.

The protesters approached the outside of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office where they held a rally, listening to speeches and chanting slogans against ICE. Without any other incidents involving counter-protesters or the police, a few minutes before 6, the protesters walked back to Clark Park where they ended the march.