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Hands Off: The Uprising Against Trump's Policies

Last Thursday, April 5th, protests sparked in over 1,400 locations across all 50 U.S. states under the motto “Hands Off!” In Washington, DC, alone, over 100,000 citizens turned out for the protest. The total turnout across the states is estimated to be in the millions, with one organization—50501—assessing that there were over three million people who protested.

But the question is, what injustice sparked so many citizens to take to the streets and protest? Well, the bottom line is that these protests began as a measure to condemn President Donald Trump. However, protests against Trump were not limited to the States—following his decree for imposing tariffs on most countries around the world, protests broke out internationally, including in Berlin, Paris, and London. 


Given the wide range of issues fueling the protests, I’ve broken them down into key categories: immigration raids, Social Security, healthcare, tariffs, cuts to government agencies and the federal workforce, union rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.


Immigration Raids

Trump has taken extreme measures to control immigration, putting insurmountable pressure on ICE and proceeding to develop mass deportation plans—despite making a plethora of errors within the past weeks. One of these errors was mistakenly arresting a Maryland father and deporting him to El Salvador.


Although there are millions of backlog cases within the immigration court system, federal funds continue to feed into border patrol and detention centers instead of these court systems or divisions, which fund aid for refugees and those seeking asylum in the U.S.


It’s clear that the pressure on ICE and enforcement agencies is not a sustainable solution, so why go this route? It poses the question: are we really looking for a solution to immigration? Or is the government just targeting whoever's most vulnerable? 


Social Security

The Social Security Administration, the organization that gives out benefits to roughly 73 million Americans, is in chaos following a gigantic reorganization—which included cutting thousands of employees. The result has been widespread staffing shortages, service delays, and rising concerns about the agency’s ability to meet its obligations. 



Healthcare

The healthcare system has been at the receiving end of executive actions that have the potential to reduce funding to Medicaid and significantly roll back provisions of the Affordable Care Act. These changes have left millions of low-income Americans and people with preexisting conditions—who both benefit from these programs—at risk for losing coverage. Hospitals—particularly in rural areas—are facing potential staff shortages and closures as federal reimbursements dwindle. The protesters argue that these healthcare cuts prioritize tax breaks and military spending over the health of citizens. 


Tariffs

Trump’s new tariff policy—imposed on nearly every major U.S. trading partner—has sparked controversy within the states and abroad. Advertised as a push to protect American industry, the administration’s tariff policy has disrupted supply chains, upped consumer prices, and provoked retaliation from countries in the European Union (1) (2) (3), China, and Canada. U.S. manufacturers and farmers alike are some of the hardest hit, experiencing higher costs for materials and declining exports. These tariffs have sparked international protests and criticism from economists, who warn of potentially devastating economic consequences. 


Cuts to Government Agencies & Federal Workforce

Recent cuts in federal government spending and workforce have severely impacted public services and the economy. The administration’s new budget proposes $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, raising concerns about the potential harm to essential programs such as Medicaid.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, aims to streamline operations but has been criticized for service disruptions—such as reduced staffing in Social Security call centers. These workforce reductions not only impact service delivery but also pose risks to national security and public trust, as agencies struggle to maintain operations with fewer employees.

Cuts to other agencies, such as the Veterans Health Administration, threaten care for veterans—with potential job losses among VA staff worsening existing staff shortages.



As a whole, these measures have contributed to economic uncertainty, with the U.S. budget deficit reaching $1.3 trillion in the first half of fiscal year 2025.


LGBTQ+ Rights

LGBTQ+ rights have undergone major setbacks due to federal and state actions. Federally, Executive Order 14168, signed by President Trump, redefines gender as a biological binary, eliminates recognition of transgender identities, and bans federal funding for gender-affirming care. Project 2025 aims to remove LGBTQ+ protections from federal regulations and diminish protection against workplace discrimination. At the state level, Iowa removed “gender identity” from its civil rights code.

These protests, spanning every state and even crossing international borders, reflect a nation at a boiling point. From immigration to healthcare, from economic hardship caused by sweeping tariffs to the rollback of civil rights protections, Americans are sounding the alarm over policies they feel threaten their livelihoods, freedoms, and values. The sheer scale of these demonstrations sends a clear message: citizens are no longer willing to remain silent in the face of sweeping federal changes.


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