Organizers of the “Day Without Immigrants” protest encouraged supporters to essentially go on a one-day strike and not go to school, work, or shopping, according to multiple reports. Its purpose was to highlight the importance of migrants in the nation and their contribution to society. Word of the “Day Without Immigrants” demonstration was reportedly spread mainly through social media campaigns. 

“The point is to feel the impact that our immigrant community has in our community, in our country,’’ said Grace Resendez McCaffery, one of the participants in the nationwide act protest. “It’s just acknowledgment that it is an immigrant community that feeds them.” 

Currently, there are an estimated 8.3 million illegal immigrants who are working in the country, according to the Center for Migration Studies of New York. 

The narrative surrounding the national act of defiance seemed to include that Trump’s actions were targeted against all immigrants. This is a frequent error and misconception. The president has repeatedly emphasized he wants to remove illegal immigrants from the country, people who are breaking the law by residing in the country. Trump does not intend to remove immigrants who adhered to immigration law and followed the legal procedures to become a naturalized citizen. 

The “Day Without Immigrants” campaign comes after large protests were held in various cities nationwide on Sunday. In Los Angeles, thousands gathered to protest the Trump administration’s illegal immigration enforcement operations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Agitators in the Southern California city violated the law by marching on the U.S. 101 Freeway in the afternoon, vandalizing highway walls, and having minor clashes with police in the evening. No arrests were reported. According to reports, another wave of protests hit the city on Monday night. 

The Trump administration has made illegal immigration enforcement a significant part of his presidential platform. So far, over 8,000 illegal immigrants have reportedly been arrested by ICE. These efforts will continue into the foreseeable future.