At Saturday’s anti-Donald Trump “Hands Off!” protest in Washington, D.C., Greisa Martinez Rosas, a person who works for immigration rights, talked to thousands of people. She said: “I am an immigrant. I am undocumented, unafraid, queer, and unashamed.” A lot of people talked about her words after they saw them on the internet because of how she stood up to the government.
The rally, which was one of more than a thousand held across the country on April 5, was put together to show disagreement with President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging decisions to cancel policies and make deep cuts in the budget. These changes were mainly about immigration and how handled in the U.S.
Interesting: 🚨 You know you need to step it up a notch when an illegal alien is this vocal.
“I am an immigrant, I am undocumented, unafraid, queer, and unashamed!” – Greisa Martinez Rosas.
pic.twitter.com/oAX6klRJ6b
— Tom Homan – Border Czar Rapid Response News (@TomHoman_) April 6, 2025
A report from Fox News said that the gathering in D.C. was really big, with lots and lots of people, tens of thousands, all coming together to say they don’t like the idea of sending more people out of the country and getting rid of programs that started when Joe Biden was President.
Born in Hidalgo, Mexico, Rosas immigrated to the U.S. as a child and grew up in Dallas, Texas. Today, she is the Executive Director of United We Dream, an organization of more than 400,000 young immigrants acting collectively nationwide. Rosas has been advocating on behalf of immigrants for many years. She has been in their shoes. She does not shy away from being undocumented.
Rosa Salazar, who works on policy issues in Washington, D.C., talked about her. Salazar said, “She represents the generation of immigrants that refuses to be silenced.” She thinks that just by being brave and sharing her story, Rosas is doing something powerful.
But Rosas’ emotional plea didn’t resonate positively with all who heard it. Shortly after her powerful words, snippets of her speech began to spread like wildfire across X, which used to be known as Twitter. The New York Post reported that the internet was ablaze with varied opinions. Some posted comments like, “Deport her. Now,” and, “Lock her up.”
A few individuals even took it a step further, using sarcasm to suggest that Rosas had given her location to the immigration authorities herself. One commenter joked, “The only thing she didn’t tell ICE is her home address.”
#HandsOff Hands off: Medicaid, Medicare, social security, public lands, veteran services, cancer research, schools, libraries, immigrants, LGBTQ+ rights, our wallets, personal data, PENGUINS, ect ect ect pic.twitter.com/DOXbyVvlJ3
— Steph 🐝 (@stephdiane) April 5, 2025
These responses reflect the tension between the growing number of immigrants who are out and proud about their status and a political climate that’s becoming increasingly less welcoming to the undocumented. Amidst the ocean of angry words, some rallied to her defense.
A supporter took to Twitter to express their admiration, saying, “She’s not hiding—she’s leading!”
Saturday’s protests were a reaction to the recent news that the Trump administration had decided to roll back the gender identity protections for immigrants, which started during Biden’s time in office.
They declared that, from now on, the American immigration system will “only recognize two genders going forward.” This shift occurred in conjunction with the establishment of a new Department of Government Efficiency, which has caused some to think that these policy shifts reduce expenses while simultaneously stripping rights from some groups.
The “Hands Off!” protests plan to protect “the dignity and humanity of all marginalized communities.” By having Rosas, a queer and undocumented person, share her experience, the organizers hoped to render visible the human cost of such policies. Her presence was deliberate and affected those who heard her.
As for any legal fallout for Rosas, it’s still not clear what might happen. ICE hasn’t made any public comments about her situation. Still, there’s been a lot of talk on the internet about the possibility of her arrest. Despite the uncertainty, people across the country who support her cause have said they’re ready to stand up for individuals like her.
Arturo Dominguez, an event organizer in Houston, said: “She’s not just making a statement—she’s putting her life on the line. That takes guts. That’s why we show up.”
