Nationwide Protests Target ICE Policies and Privatization

Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal immigration policies are occurring nationwide, with major demonstrations in New York City, Carroll County, Maryland, and Florida. In New York, activists are responding to video evidence of poor conditions at a Manhattan ICE processing center, while city officials face a Justice Department lawsuit over sanctuary laws and debate expanding ICE's role in local jails. Carroll County is the site of protests opposing its forthcoming 287(g) agreement with ICE, which is scheduled to begin on August 1. In Florida, demonstrations targeted the GEO Group headquarters, criticizing the company's role in immigrant detention and its political contributions supporting Trump and immigration legislation. Protesters nationwide emphasize peaceful action, raising concerns over the ethics and economics of for-profit detention and the impact on immigrant families. The protests underscore broader conflicts over federal immigration enforcement, local authority, and the privatization of detention services.