Photos: Protesters Demand “ICE Out” in Miami

Days before the biggest musicians on the planet denounced escalating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the U.S. from the Grammy stage, locals rallied in opposition to the federal agency at the Torch of Friendship in Downtown Miami.

On Friday, January 30, protesters gathered at the landmark carrying signs calling for the abolition of ICE. Some employed slogans in support of immigrants — “No human is illegal”; “Immigrants, we get the job done” — while others taunted President Donald Trump, who has ordered the escalation of immigration raids across the country, including in Minneapolis, where protesters Renée Good and Alex Pretti have been killed.

Arianne Betancourt, whose father was detained during a routine immigration appointment and transferred to Alligator Alcatraz, encouraged those “at home watching and liking and sharing and reposting” to “come out. There is strength in numbers.” The 32-year-old activist said, “I was scared at some point, too. And you know what happens when you’re faced with fear? Youre given two options: Fight or flight. So I’m going to fight — not just for me, but for everyone else who is denied their rights.”

Here are some of the scenes that unfolded when Miami protested against ICE this weekend.