Protesters in Arizona hit the streets on Sunday to demonstrate against President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations, with reports from the police suggesting that officers were attacked during the protest.
Glendale Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that there was a large group of people who gathered in protest of federal immigration policies.
A police spokesperson said a police vehicle was stolen by one protester but no arrest has been made.
According to a spokesperson, a protester “got into one of our patrol cars and drove it a short distance before it was promptly retrieved,” and the identity of the suspect was not known at that time.
She remarked during a press conference, “I understand that the previous administration did not interpret it in that manner, so there is a significant cultural change in our country regarding the perception of those who violate our immigration laws as criminals, which is indeed what they are,” and she chose not to comment on whether all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. had criminal backgrounds.
People who cross the border illegally have committed a crime, but simply being in the U.S. illegally is a civil violation, not a criminal one. Someone could be in the country illegally without breaking laws to enter, such as overstaying a Visa.
Trump said in his inauguration speech last month that his administration would quickly deport “millions and millions” of migrants with criminal records, although the number of migrants with criminal records who are in the country without authorization is significantly less than those millions, according to Axios.
Studies also show that both legal and illegal migrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens.