'Day Without Immigrants' protest held to prove importance

From Los Angeles to New York, immigrants skipped work and school today, and many instead took part in demonstrations to show how vital they are to the national economy and way of life. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital A young girl helps hold a US flag as a group marches through downtown heading to the Texas Capitol during an immigration protest in Austin People cheer before they march Thursday in Detroit as part of the nationwide boycott Restaurant workers, many of them immigrants, came out in droves in DC during the boycott Protesters in DC are carrying signs mocking Donald Trump's policies and likening him to Adolf Hitler High school senior Vicky Sosa holds a sign outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday High school student Kathia Suarez holds up a sign that is a play on Trump's campaign slogan 'Make America Great Again' as she protests with others outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman More than 100 restaurants and dozens of other places of business closed their doors for the day to show solidarity with immigrants. With the support of the owner, the majority of the staff, which is Latino, did not come to work Thursday After attempting to enter, Kristina Roth of Colorado Springs, Colorado, stops to take a picture of a sign on the door of the restaurant 'Oyamel Cocina Mexicana', which states it is closed in solidarity with 'A Day Without Immigrants', in Washington, DC A man attempts to enter the restaurant 'Zaytinya', owned by chef Jose Andres, discovering that it is closed in DC Pedestrians pass by Sweetgreen in D, which was closed on Thursday in a show of support for immigrant workers A sign in the window of the popular Brooklyn restaurant Prime Meats explains their solidarity with the 'A Day Without Immigrants,' boycott/strike on February 16, 2017 in New York Washington restaurateur John Andrade said on Wednesday that he would close his businesses today, and David Suro, owner of Tequilas Restaurant in Philadelphia and a Mexican immigrant, said he also planned to participate. A sign hangs outside the closed Marco's Fish Market in Philadelphia's Italian Market A mail carrier passes a closed bakery Thursday in south Philadelphia's Italian Market Felix Solis shows a flyer he is handing out to inquiring customers in front of a closed latino grocery story in Dallas Thursday Luis Arce Mota, the chef and co-owner of La Contenta, posts a flyer in the window announcing the closure of his restaurant for the day, Thursday, in New York Members of the Mexican Association of Perth Amboy, from left, Alicia Ireneo, Leonardo Sanchez and Rodolfo Cortes, carry flags while walking in front of closed business taking part of an immigration protest, Thursday, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey Andres is in a legal battle with Trump that came after the chef scrapped plans to open a restaurant in Trump's new Washington hotel. Immigrant supporters marches with others during a protest outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday Allison Perez, 9, holds a sign as she marches with others during a protest outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas Olivia Vazquez, a community organizer with Juntos, is taking part in 'Day Without Immigrants' protest in South Philadelphia Thursday A shopper walks past a sign hanging outside the closed Marco's Fish Market in south Philadelphia's Italian Market Davis Museum at Wellesley College Assistant Preparator Craig Uram, left, and Curatorial Assistant Alicia LaTores, right, cover the painting Friends in a Storm Approaching, 1875-1876, by Scottish-born artist James McDougal Hart, with a black shroud To protest President Trump's travel ban, artworks by immigrants, or artworks given to the museum by immigrants, are being covered with shrouds or de-installed from Thursday through February 21 Writing on the wall: Davis Museum Associate Director Tsugumi Joiner places a placard near the shroud-covered painting Friends in a Storm Approaching to call attention to contributions that immigrants have made to American culture Almiron said that while community groups have not seen an uptick in immigration raids in the city, residents are concerned about the prospect.