Government, Politics & Issues

St. Louis-area advocates protest Trump's immigrant deportations and policy changes

St. Louis Public Radio | By Andrea Y. Henderson

Published January 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM CST

Amanda Cruz, 41, of Granite City, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Amanda Cruz, 41, of Granite City, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday in Overland.

In slightly above-freezing weather, Fatima Suarez walked in and out of a crowd of about 100 protesters on Saturday in Overland, handing out “Know Your Rights” fliers to inform people how to protect themselves or family members when encountering U.S. immigration agents enforcing new federal deportation policies.

“I received these from the place that I work at … they wanted me to spread out the information,” Suarez said. “These [are] what to do … if they get detained in public, in their houses or at workplaces, and it’s a link to a website on how to handle the situations.”

Suarez is familiar with the deportation process and its effects on families. As a child, federal immigration agents separated her from her parents, who were sent to detention centers in California and Arizona because she was a U.S. citizen and her parents at the time were without legal status.

“It was just the worst feeling,” she said.

Fatima Suarez, a 24-year-old marcher from Affton, joined roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. “I’ve been to a protest like this at the border when I was 14 or 15,” she said. “This is the first one I heard about in this city and I wanted to be part of it to support my people.” — Fatima Suarez, a 24-year-old marcher from Affton, joined roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday in Overland. “I’ve been to a protest like this at the border when I was 14 or 15,” she said. “This is the first one I heard about in this city, and I wanted to be part of it to support my people.”

Now, she is fighting for federal policies that give immigrants a pathway to citizenship that is free of intimidation and racial profiling.

“I just want them [U.S. government] to give the people the opportunity to be here legally,” Suarez said. “Many of these people have been here for their whole life – like 30 years or 40 years – their kids are citizens, and many have been waiting for an opportunity to be able to work here with a permit.”

Many people from Latin American countries who live in St. Louis, like Suarez, are also supporting immigrant rights on a federal level after President Donald Trump signed executive orders for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to carry out mass deportations on his first day in office.

Some St. Louisans who live in Overland say they have seen federal immigration agents near grocery stores and have been warning family and friends about leaving their homes if they are undocumented or worried that they would be stopped because they are Hispanic.

A lot of people are scared and do not go to work, get groceries or do everyday things because they are terrified of being stopped by ICE, said Santiago Trujillo.

Trujillo, 16, is a junior at Ritenour High School who came to the protest to support his friends from school who helped organize it. He said he worries about his mother because her appointment to receive her citizenship documents is constantly pushed back.

“It does hurt me to see whenever they [his parents] leave the house, I pray every day that they don't get caught,” Trujillo said while wearing a Mexican flag around his neck. “My parents are documented, but still, it scares me.”

Roughly 100 community members march to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. The march joins many across the country this weekend. — Roughly 100 community members march to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes about immigration on Saturday.

Throughout the protest, leaders reminded people to let their voices be heard beyond the streets of Overland by contacting their local and state lawmakers to urge laws that would give immigrants rights instead of stripping them.

Cinthia Torres is especially worried about some of the immigration bills that Missouri lawmakers have filed this session that could harm families.

“Two of the things that I'm really, really worried about, and that I really need people to talk about are SB 58 … and SB 72,” she said.

Senate Bill 58, which Republican state Sen. Jill Carter introduced, proposes hefty fines or prison time for people in the U.S. without legal status. Republican Sen. David Gregory of St. Louis County introduced Senate Bill 72, which would create a bounty hunter program to help law enforcement locate immigrants in the state without the proper paperwork. It also would allow residents to alert law enforcement about people who may be living in the country without legal documentation. Residents would receive a $1,000 reward if an arrest is made.

“It is really important for me as a U.S. citizen to be able to have my voice heard, to be able to fight and protect everybody's rights, to be able to help give somebody an opportunity to know their rights, to understand that they're not alone, to know that we are here for them and that there's nothing that we will not stop doing to help protect them at all costs,” Torres said.

See more photos from the march and rally from St. Louis Public Radio's Brian Munoz and the Belleville News-Democrat's Joshua Carter below:

Manuel Trujillo, 44, of Overland, marches alongside roughly 100 community members march to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. “I’m out here to support our people because they are instilling [so] much fear,” he said in Spanish. — Manuel Trujillo, 44, of Overland, marches alongside roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday in Overland. “I’m out here to support our people because they are instilling [so] much fear,” he said in Spanish.

David, a 15-year-old sophomore at Ritenour High School, rallies alongside roughly 100 community members protesting President Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations across the country. “I was terrified. Last night I couldn’t sleep,” he said or the organizing process. St. Louis Public Radio is withholding David’s last name due to fears of retaliation from law enforcement agencies and the broader public. “We have to come together as a community to fight for our parents — the ones who came here to provide for us and did a lot for us.” — David, a 15-year-old sophomore at Ritenour High School, rallies alongside roughly 100 community members protesting President Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations across the country. “I was terrified. Last night I couldn’t sleep,” he said. St. Louis Public Radio is withholding David’s last name due to fears of retaliation from law enforcement agencies and the broader public. “We have to come together as a community to fight for our parents — the ones who came here to provide for us and did a lot for us.”

Michelle Gonzalez, 17, of St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood, protests alongside roughly 100 community to protest President Donald Trump’s plan to conduct mass deportations across the United States on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Michelle Gonzalez, 17, of St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood, protests alongside roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s plan to conduct mass deportations across the United States on Saturday in Overland.

Restaurant-goers film roughly 100 community members marching to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policy changes on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Restaurantgoers film roughly 100 community members marching to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policy changes on Saturday in Overland.

Flor Medrano, 24, of St. Ann, marches to protest President Donald Trump’s plan for countrywide mass deportations on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. “I know that there [are] so many people that cannot come out here and they’re pretty scared,” she said. “We gotta support our people and not be scared.” — Flor Medrano, 24, of St. Ann, marches to protest President Donald Trump’s plan for countrywide mass deportations on Saturday. “I know that there [are] so many people that cannot come out here and they’re pretty scared,” she said. “We've got to support our people and not be scared.”

Overland Police help escort roughly 100 community members marching to protest President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Overland police officers help escort roughly 100 community members marching to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Brooklyn Simily, 16, of Ladue, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. The teen recalled the trauma of a friend being abruptly deported in grade school, leading her to join the weekend’s march. “I just feel like everyone should have the right to be here,” she said. “We’re called the Land of the Free for a reason and most people arena’t even free — they’re fighting to be free.” — Brooklyn Simily, 16, of Ladue, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday. The teen recalled the trauma of a friend being abruptly deported in grade school, leading her to join the weekend’s march. “I just feel like everyone should have the right to be here,” she said. “We’re called the land of the free for a reason and most people aren’t even free — they’re fighting to be free.”

Brayan Sosa, right, a 22-year-old demonstrator from St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood, throws a fist in the air while protesting President Donald Trump’s plan to enact mass deportations alongside roughly 100 community members on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. “I feel like as a first generation Latino I have to stand up for people who came here for a better life,” he said. “They already ddi their share in building up our country. So, now it is our turn to fight for them.” — Brayan Sosa, right, a 22-year-old demonstrator from St. Louis’ Carondelet neighborhood, throws a fist in the air while protesting President Donald Trump’s plan to enact mass deportations alongside roughly 100 community members on Saturday in Overland. “I feel like as a first-generation Latino I have to stand up for people who came here for a better life,” he said. “They already did their share in building up our country. So, now it is our turn to fight for them.”

Ana Aviles, 34, of St. Ann, marches alongside roughly 100 community members in response to President Donald Trump’s policy changes around immigration on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. “I myself am a DACA recipient and currently my husband is upfront or deportation. We currently have three kids together,” she said, adding that the last week was “very fearful. Not just for me, but for all the community.” — Ana Aviles, 34, of St. Ann, marches alongside roughly 100 community members in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday. “I myself am a DACA recipient and currently my husband is up front for deportation. We currently have three kids together,” she said, adding that the last week was “very fearful. Not just for me, but for all the community.”

Kita, a community activist who regularly chalks at area demonstrations, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Kita, a community activist who regularly chalks at area demonstrations, joins roughly 100 community members to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Roughly 100 community members march to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, in Overland. — Roughly 100 community members march to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies on Saturday in Overland.