On October 18, 2025, a wave of protests swept across the United States, as millions of Americans took to the streets in what organizers dubbed the “No Kings” rallies. From the heart of Washington, D.C. to the parks and avenues of Denver, and even outside the gates of a controversial immigration detention center in New Jersey, demonstrators voiced their opposition to what they called the overreach and authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s second administration. The movement, which drew an estimated seven million participants nationwide according to the No Kings Coalition, was marked by both its festive atmosphere and its deep sense of urgency about the country’s direction.
In Washington, the mood was both jubilant and defiant. According to reporting from the Canadian Press, crowds thronged Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Capitol, some donning whimsical costumes—dinosaurs, frogs, unicorns—while others held up pointed signs. Eric Poole, one attendee, wore a bright red shirt reading, “Dear Canada, we hate him too.” The revelry peaked in front of the Department of Labor, where a dance party broke out to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” all under the gaze of a massive banner bearing President Trump’s face. Yet, beneath the party-like surface, the event was set against a somber backdrop: a drawn-out government shutdown and the administration’s ongoing efforts to reshape the federal workforce.
Farther west, in Denver, the scale of the protests was even more dramatic. As Colorado Newsline reported, more than 25,000 demonstrators packed Civic Center Park and spilled into the surrounding streets, while another 12,000 to 15,000 rallied in Colorado Springs. Grand Junction, on the state’s Western Slope, saw thousands more. The Denver event featured a lineup of impassioned speakers, including former state Rep. Joe Salazar, who declared, “There is no king in America, and we will not be silenced by authoritarians.” Salazar’s words drew cheers from the crowd, who brandished satirical signs and wore inflatable costumes, a nod to the playful but pointed protest tactics popularized in Portland.
Organizers made clear their grievances. Tiffany Weber, founder of the activist group Solidarity Warriors and a lead organizer in Denver, took aim at U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s recent characterization of the movement as a “Hate America” rally. “He has the gall to say we hate America. We love America,” Weber insisted. “We love the loud, beautiful, chaotic streets of Denver. We love the variety of ways that people show up to protests, and we hate the fact that not everyone can safely exercise their American right to free speech.”
The protests unfolded as President Trump’s administration ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts. According to Colorado Newsline, Trump had recently ordered National Guard troops to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in cities like Chicago and Portland—cities he described as “war ravaged,” despite the largely nonviolent nature of recent anti-ICE demonstrations. The administration’s pledge to carry out the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” had raised tensions nationwide, with the stated goal of removing all estimated 12 million immigrants without permanent legal status, regardless of their family circumstances or criminal record.
These expanded operations, fueled by $45 billion in new ICE funding included in a Republican-backed federal spending and tax cut law passed in July, have already swept up at least 170 U.S. citizens in 2025 alone, according to ProPublica. The aggressive approach has drawn widespread condemnation from protesters, who see it as a fundamental threat to constitutional rights and the fabric of American democracy.
“We can’t treat people like this. We can’t treat anybody like this, let alone immigrants who are minding their own business and doing their work,” said Emily Magner, an Aurora resident attending the Denver protest. Her remarks echoed the sentiments of many, who questioned the administration’s justification for targeting workplaces like meatpacking plants where undocumented immigrants are likely to be found. During the Denver rally, Julian Camera of the American Civil Liberties Union reminded attendees of their constitutional rights, warning, “It’s rookie hour at the federal government, and if you’re detained by law enforcement, they might try to intimidate you and lie to you about your rights. We’re not going to let them get away with trying to rewrite the Constitution just because Trump is telling them to.”
After the speeches, thousands marched from the Capitol into Denver’s Central Business District, their numbers and energy undiminished. While the main event remained peaceful and festive, a smaller group later attempted to access the highway, leading to several arrests by the Denver Police Department. Still, the overwhelming tone of the day was one of solidarity and hope, with protesters determined to defend democratic norms and civil liberties.
Not all the action was in the streets. In Newark, New Jersey, the struggle took a different form, focused on the plight of immigrants detained at Delaney Hall, the first new ICE detention center opened under Trump’s second term. As reported by Peoples Dispatch, the facility quickly became a flashpoint for controversy. In June 2025, detainees staged an uprising over inhumane conditions, including lack of food. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested by federal agents while trying to inspect the facility, later stating, “This entire situation lacks sufficient oversight of every basic detail – including local zoning laws and fundamental constitutional rights.”
In response, a coalition of immigrant rights activists and volunteers have stepped up to provide mutual aid for visitors to Delaney Hall. Organizations like Pax Christi USA, Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, COSECHA, Indivisible, the League of Women Voters, and the Democratic Socialists of America have been distributing food, clothing, chairs, umbrellas, and even offering emotional support. “The list of support we try to give may change from moment to moment depending on the needs of those outside,” said John Codd, a volunteer with First Friends of NY & NJ. As winter approaches, the lack of an indoor waiting area has become a pressing concern. Kathy O’Leary of Pax Christi USA emphasized, “Delaney Hall is the only ICE facility in the entire country that does not provide an indoor waiting area for visitors.”
Activists are now urging New Jersey legislators to demand better conditions at Delaney Hall, including the addition of an indoor waiting area, and to pass the Immigrant Trust Act, which would limit the state’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. “They need to see what’s going on for themselves,” O’Leary insisted, calling on lawmakers to meet with visitors and volunteers and hear the stories of those affected. The expansion of immigration detention and the crackdown on protests, activists argue, are not just the work of one administration, but part of a larger, bipartisan failure to protect immigrant rights and human dignity.
As night fell on October 18, the message from the No Kings rallies was clear: millions of Americans, from all walks of life, are determined to stand up for democracy, constitutional rights, and the most vulnerable among them—even in the face of mounting repression and uncertainty.
