‘From LA to Spokane’: Protests spreading amid Trump’s mass deportation crackdown

(The Center Square) – Protests over federal immigration enforcement and a U.S. military parade are scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday in Spokane as troops deploy to Los Angeles, Calif.

The Party for Socialism & Liberation in Spokane posted to social media Tuesday, calling for an emergency protest on June 11. The “FROM LA TO SPOKANE: ICE OUT” demonstration starts at 7 p.m. in Riverfront Park, sparking concerns amid ongoing tension after another protest in LA.

President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines to L.A. on Monday after protests at a federal immigration facility in the city last weekend. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said it was to keep the peace and protect local law enforcement amid growing unrest.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been combing through L.A. as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, but California isn’t alone. Immigration authorities are scouring the country looking for illegal immigrants, including in Washington State and Spokane.

“Our emergency management and public safety teams work in close communication before, during, and after any type of community event to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone,” Mayor Lisa Brown told The Center Square in a statement. “Whether it’s a large-scale festival or public demonstration, we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all.”

Brown didn’t comment on concerns about Trump potentially deploying U.S. troops to Spokane.

PSL Spokane wrote on social media that Trump “falsely” labeled the L.A. protests as “riots” and called his deployment a “blatant attempt to silence and intimidate the movement.” The group called on immigration authorities to leave “every community” and for federal forces to leave L.A.

The Spokane City Council passed a resolution in February, reaffirming what many people label Washington state’s sanctuary law. In doing so, Councilmember Paul Dillon tore up a memo from the U.S. Department of Justice that threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities.

“The pain and fear that this is causing in Spokane is legitimate,” Dillon said before tearing it up in February. “And, of course, there’s been some discussion about a federal funding freeze we got, and this [DOJ memo] has been published nationally.”

More than 250 people responded to the event post on Facebook by Wednesday morning, with more than 1,500 people liking PSL Spokane’s Instagram post advertising the protest. Another 1,000 had shared it already, raising concerns among business owners with locations open downtown.

Gordon Hester, president and chief executive officer of Kiemle Hagood, a property management company in Spokane, warned others in a mass email to some business owners and residents.

“They may end up peaceful, and they may not,” Hester wrote, “however, we have elected to lock down all buildings we manage and hire extra security to prevent property damage.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted to X on Wednesday, asking Americans to “Help your country locate and arrest illegal aliens.” DHS attached a hotline number to the post for people to call and report “criminal activity,” along with a photo that reads “REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS.”

Several other protests are scheduled for Saturday, coinciding with Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C. The parade marks the first that the country has held since 1991 to celebrate the end of the Gulf War. It also falls on the same day as Flag Day and the No Kings Day event.

Over 1,800 “No Kings Day” protests are scheduled for June 14 nationwide, with several across Washington State and one in Spokane. The Spokane County Democratic Party advertised the protest on its website, calling for advocates to gather in Riverfront Park at 4 P.M. on Saturday.

“The No Kings mobilizations on June 14 were already planned as a peaceful stand against authoritarian overreach and the gross abuse of power this Administration has shown,” the coalition organizing the No Kings Day events wrote in a statement on Sunday.

“Now, this military escalation only confirms what we’ve known: this government wants to rule by force, not serve the people. From major cities to small towns, we’ll rise together and say: we reject political violence. We reject fear as governance. We reject the myth that only some deserve freedom,” the coalition continued.”

The Center Square requested comment from Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall but did not receive a response before publishing.