Protesters Block Hot Metal Bridge, March On ICE Office

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Protesters tied up traffic in Pittsburgh on Saturday during a rally in response to President Donald Trump's recent order on immigration and deportations they say took place this past week.

About 100 people gathered at 2 p.m. near the intersection of South Water Street and Hot Metal Street with the goal of marching to Pittsburgh's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

For about 15 minutes, traffic on the bridge was blocked, infuriating travelers who relentlessly honked their horns in response.

Protesters chanted "Pittsburgh is an immigrant town," "no walls, no registry, end white supremacy," "no ban, no wall, sanctuary for all."

One man confronted the group, saying he had a doctor's appointment he needed to get to.

"What if I fully agreed with you? Why do I have to pay any kind of price?" he said.

The Thomas Merton Center, ANSWER Coalition, Labor Counsel for Latin American Advancement, United Students Against Sweatshops Local#31 and ARYSE were all a part of organizing the event.

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In a press release, organizers stated that: "following the executive orders signed by Trump last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken unlimited power to break up families and terrorize immigrant communities."

Guillermo Perez, with the Labor Counsel for Latin American Advancement, told KDKA's Bob Allen that the march was in response to deportations he says took place over the past week.

"What we know is what gets reported to us by people who have ICE show up at their homes and take members of their family, that's how we know about what took place," Perez said. "We just want to make it very, very clear that is not welcome here, this is a city that values families and has a rich history of immigrants making a contribution."

"It's bad for Pittsburgh, it's bad for the Latino community, because that seems to be who they are targeting, and it's bad for public safety," Perez said.

Trump's order halting the Syrian refugee program and temporarily suspending immigration from seven majority Muslim countries has sparked protests across the country.