Yes.

On two occasions in February, officers from the Glendale Police Department used pepper balls to disperse crowds protesting the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. During a Feb. 2 demonstration, protesters began throwing glass bottles and fireworks at officers, according to a police spokesperson. On Feb. 4, protesters intended to block access to a major freeway, but officers confronted demonstrators as they approached, the spokesperson said.

Crowds have gathered across Arizona to push back against deportation efforts and executive orders that strip migrants of legal protections in recent weeks, including an attempt to end birthright citizenship and the reinstatement of a program requiring migrants to remain in Mexico as they await asylum hearings.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.

Sources

• Glendale Police Department, Correspondence with Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
• AZCentral, Glendale protest over threatened deportations dispersed by police using chemical agents
• Arizona Mirror, Hundreds protest Trump immigration policies at Arizona Capitol
• Washington Office on Latin America, Trump’s Executive Orders and Latin America: Key Things to Know