A demonstrator raises a hybrid U.S.–Mexico flag during protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in front of Los Angeles City Hall, June 12, 2025. Standing above police officers, the protester symbolizes immigrant resilience and the demand for justice within the structures of U.S. democracy.
Voices Against ICE
Photographer: Alvaro Diaz
Exhibit Title: Voices Against ICE
Location: United States
In Los Angeles, thousands have taken to the streets to protest the policies of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), denouncing family separations, mass detentions, and the criminalization of migration. These demonstrations are not only political acts but also urgent expressions of solidarity, resistance, and hope.
This photographic series documents the protests against ICE held in downtown Los Angeles, capturing the voices, faces, and gestures of communities demanding justice. From handmade signs to powerful chants, from families marching together to solitary acts of defiance, the images reveal how collective presence transforms public space into a stage of resistance.
As a photographer working on the themes of migration and borders, I seek to portray not only the scale of the protests but also the intimate humanity within them—the determination of those who refuse to be silenced. These photographs bear witness to a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for immigrant rights in the United States, creating a visual archive of resilience in the face of systemic oppression.
As a photographer, musicologist, and sound artist, my work explores migration, identity, and the ways communities create expressions of resistance. In June 2025, I documented mass protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in downtown Los Angeles.
The demonstrations brought together immigrant families, activists, and allies demanding justice. I was drawn to the tension between militarized force—National Guard troops and police in riot gear—and the human gestures of dignity: children carrying flags, handmade signs declaring “No One is Illegal,” and hybrid U.S.–Mexico banners waving in defiance.
My approach is deeply documentary. I seek to portray what is real: the raw emotions, the overlooked details, the rhythm of collective action. With a background in sound and music, I think of photography as another way of listening, attentive to the echoes of history and the pulse of social movements.
This series is not about spectacle but about memory. Each image testifies to how immigrant voices, often silenced in official narratives, take space and visibility through protest. By bearing witness, I aim to contribute to a larger archive of social struggles—an archive that affirms the humanity of those resisting dehumanizing policies and invites reflection long after the chants fade.
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