Where there anti deportation protests under biden
Executive summary
There were indeed anti‑deportation protests during the Biden administration: community rallies, demonstrations outside ICE facilities and local marches occurred in multiple cities at least through 2024, driven by outrage over rising removals and the expansion of detention capacity [1] [2] [3]. The protests were uneven in size—ranging from dozens to hundreds or more—and were often framed by organizers as pushing the Biden White House to restrain or dismantle the deportation “infrastructure” even as critics pointed to enforcement gains the administration touted [1] [2].
1. Documented locations: from Independence Hall to ICE jails
Local reporting documents specific anti‑deportation actions during Biden’s term, such as a December 2024 rally and march around Independence Hall in Philadelphia calling on President Biden to close detention facilities and “dismantle the infrastructure” that could be used for deportations (about 100 people attended) [1], and protests at ICE detention centers reported in December 2024 and covered by outlets including The Guardian showing demonstrators outside Los Angeles facilities [2]. National coverage and issue briefs likewise record demonstrations against deportations tied to Biden administration policy decisions and enforcement practices, indicating protests were not isolated events but occurred in multiple jurisdictions [4] [3].
2. Timing and scale: more visible as removals rose
The flare‑ups of protest activity tracked in late 2024 coincided with official figures and reporting that U.S. deportations under Biden had risen to a near‑decade high, a fact that activists cited as a catalyst for public demonstrations [2] [3]. Media descriptions range from small, focused rallies—like the Philadelphia march—to larger mobilizations around ICE facilities and campuses; academic and monitoring projects logged a broader uptick in immigration‑related demonstrations as policy and enforcement shifted [1] [4].
3. Grievances and organizing frames: dismantle the “deportation machine”
Protesters and immigrant advocates framed their demands around halting deportations, shutting detention centers, creating pathways to citizenship, and resisting the infrastructure they feared would fuel future mass removals; local leaders and rally statements in Philadelphia explicitly urged Biden to act to prevent anticipated harsher policies under incoming administrations [1]. Policy critiques cited by protesters referenced Title 42 expulsions, growing detention capacity, and year‑over‑year enforcement trends that critics argued made immigrant communities more vulnerable [3] [2].
4. Counterarguments, numbers and political context
Reporting also shows the political tightrope: the Biden administration defended some enforcement moves while critics pointed to rising removal totals—ICE and DHS numbers were central to the debate and were used by both sides to justify policy choices [3] [2]. Independent analyses questioned simple comparisons across administrations and noted differences in counting methods and programmatic tools; watchdog and research groups produced competing readings about whether enforcement under later administrations exceeded Biden’s levels, complicating claims that protests were triggered solely by new or unprecedented activity [5] [6].
5. Why coverage can mislead and what remains uncertain
News reports and briefs capture protests and statistics but leave gaps: local reporting documents specific rallies and arrests, while national tallies aggregate removals without always detailing where or why protests arose; some sources emphasize grassroots pressure on Biden to change course, others emphasize that protest intensity spiked under later administrations, which risks conflating causes and timing [1] [4] [2]. Available reporting does not provide a comprehensive, day‑by‑day national inventory of every protest under Biden, so claims about total scope or whether protest activity peaked during particular weeks require caution and further primary documentation [4] [5].
6. Bottom line: protests occurred, often in response to rising removals and detention expansion
The record in local and national reporting is clear that anti‑deportation protests took place during the Biden presidency—organized around ICE facilities, city halls and public squares—and that they were animated by the administration’s enforcement record and policy choices; however, the movement’s size and impact varied regionally, and the broader political debate over whether Biden’s deportation figures were uniquely high remains contested among reporters and analysts [1] [2] [5].