Hundreds of people marched through the streets on Wednesday night in downtown Raleigh to protest the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.
Wednesday night's gathering started in Moore Square, where a smaller group of protesters also gathered the day before. After marching through the downtown streets from about 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, hundreds of protesters returned to Moore Square.
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It is one of the many demonstrations spreading from coast to coast.
Many protesters are charged up from demonstrations they’ve seen in cities across the country like Los Angeles. There were also protests Tuesday evening at the North Carolina legislative building, where state lawmakers approved Senate Bill 153 to require state and local government agencies to cooperate with deportation efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Demonstrators at Wednesday's protest told WRAL News they felt it was their duty to attend and speak up after "seeing their people being oppressed in different parts of the country."
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t see a border around North Carolina bordering Mexico,” said Alex Trejo, a demonstrator attending Wednesday’s protests. “So, they’re just bringing these mass deportation attacks all across the country closer and closer to home. And we’re here, we’re coming out, we’re showing the state that the people are up against it.”
Others were there representing family members and loved ones.
“I am here, one because my parents were immigrants and I would not be here if they did not leave their country, two my friends are immigrants and I love them like my family, and three these are the people that are the backbone of America whether we choose to recognize it or not," Cristal Vivanco said.
WRAL News spoke with Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce about preparations for any unrest given the heightened tensions.
“The RPD wants everyone to come. If they decide to come to the capital city and exercise their first amendment right, we want them to do it peacefully,” Boyce said.
Boyce added that the Raleigh Police Department is prepared for anything that may counter peaceful efforts.
"We’re not going to sit and stand by and just let folks violate the law in our presence," Boyce continued. "We’re going to be proactive and we’re going to de-escalate situations as quickly as possible. But in the event de-escalation does not work, we are ready and prepared to use enforcement actions if needed but that is not the goal."
WRAL News previously reported on Tuesday’s demonstrations held in front of the Legislative Building as lawmakers voted on SB-153. The bill would crack down on undocumented immigrants in North Carolina.
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the nonprofit estimates the cost of illegal immigration in North Carolina is about $3.4 billion a year, in sectors like public education, health care, policing, etc. Some argue that money can be used in other areas.
As protests continue to spread across the country, some activists told WRAL News, they “fear things will only get worse.”
“I’m an immigrant as well,” said activist Alex Trejo. “I feel this on a day-to-day basis, worrying about my safety as well, but that won’t stop me from showing up and speaking my voice and making sure we are heard and we have power in this country because we’re living here and we exist.”
Demonstrators describe it as an “attack on immigrant communities” and “violent repression of protesters.”
The Raleigh protest began around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
More protests are set to take place this weekend across North Carolina. Several will be in the Triangle, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Clayton and Fayetteville.