By Lumine
WASHINGTON, D.C. A powerful wave of nationwide May Day protests erupted Thursday as thousands of Americans took to the streets to denounce President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown, with demonstrators demanding answers over alleged “disappearances,” due process violations, and the targeting of judges and lawyers.
Massive rallies, organized by over 200 labor unions and immigrant rights groups, spread across major U.S. cities, including Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, turning May Day into a mass demonstration of legal resistance and humanitarian outrage.
“Bring Kilmar Home” Becomes Protest Rallying Cry
In a moment that electrified the crowd, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, stood before thousands in the nation’s capital. Her husband, a legal U.S. resident, was wrongfully deported and detained in El Salvador for 50 days, a case the administration later admitted was a “mistake.”
“He was illegally detained, abducted, and disappeared by the Trump administration,” Vasquez Sura said through tears. “They admit it was an error. Still, 50 days of suffering. For everyone watching, keep fighting.”
Her plea echoed across the movement, with “Bring Kilmar Home” emerging as a defining chant of the protests.
Legal Community Joins the Fight
Lawyers, civil rights advocates, and former Justice Department officials marched arm in arm, carrying signs like:
- “Defend the Constitution”
- “Lawyers Aren’t the Enemy”
- “Stop Weaponizing the Courts”
Demonstrators accused Trump of eroding civil liberties, intimidating the judiciary, and prioritizing billionaires over working families.
“This is no longer just about immigration,” said immigration attorney Raquel Jimenez. “It’s about the soul of American justice.”
Ocasio-Cortez Issues Stark Warning
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined crowds in New York, where she warned that the administration’s agenda was expanding.
“They came for our immigrants. Now, they’re going after our healthcare,” she said, referencing growing concerns that Medicaid could be the next target in a broader rollback of social protections.
White House Shake-Up Fuels Tensions
Protests flared just hours after a major White House personnel shift:
President Trump abruptly ousted National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, replacing him with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as interim, a move seen by critics as a sign of internal chaos and power consolidation.
No Official White House Response Yet
The White House has not released a statement on Thursday’s protests. However, administration officials continue to defend the immigration policies as vital to national security, despite growing criticism over transparency and due process violations.
A Message from the Streets
This year’s May Day sent an unmistakable signal: Americans from all walks of life, lawyers, laborers, immigrants, and elected officials, are calling for compassion, accountability, and constitutional fidelity.For many, Kilmar’s story is more than a mistake, it’s a symbol of a system many believe is broken.
