On October 18, 2025, a second wave of ‘No Kings Protests’ swept the nation. More than 2700 events were seen across all 50 states.
Protesters were there for a number of reasons. One was to advocate against the recent expansion of immigration deportation tactics. As of October 27, 2025, according to the Homeland Security website and Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, more than 527 thousand individuals have been deported. In order for these deportations to happen, the National Guard has been sent to multiple sanctuary cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been patrolling major cities across the country, capturing thousands of individuals at their work places, homes and public places like grocery stores. Many families have not been able to track their detained family members until they are out of the state, and in some cases, out of the country.
In Roscoe Village, Illinois, Diana Santillana was forcefully removed from the Infant Room in Rayito de Sol Roscoe Village by two ICE agents. Santillana was authorized to be there legally by her work place. The aggression in the detainments and the amount of detainees who reside in the United States legally are key motives behind the No Kings Protests.
Another reason for the protest is the sudden lack of federal education resources. On March 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that disassembles the Department of Education. During the signing, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she will “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over to the states and local communities.”
Opposing this statement, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Derrick Johnson said, “This is a dark day for the millions of American children who depend on federal funding for a quality education, including those in poor and rural communities with parents who voted for Trump.” This new lack of resources that directly affects underprivileged communities is another significant motivation for protesters.
In response to the protests, House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “hate America rally” saying, “It’s all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people, they’re all coming out.” White House Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said “who cares” when asked about the protests by NPR.
President Donald Trump reacted by posting a video curated by AI on his Truth Social. The video depicted Trump sitting with a crown atop his head in a fighter jet. The jet had “KING TRUMP” inscribed on its side while it was dumping feces on the protesters down below.
Furthermore, he called the upwards of 2700 events “very small” and “very ineffective.”
There is no set date for another ‘No Kings’ Protest, but the movement remains strong as the Trump administration’s controversial actions continue.