Protesters gather during a rally outside the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)"People in office right now care more about the 1 percent, just extremely rich people and not really the rest of this country," said Sophie, one of the protesters.by Xiong Maoling, Hu YousongWASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- "Stop illegal deportations!" "Due process now!" "Workers should have power, not billionaires!" "The constitutional crisis is here!" ... A recent protest in front of the White House featured a variety of eye-catching handmade signs.On Saturday, a wave of protests swept once again across the United States. In cities including Washington D.C., New York, San Francisco and Boston, people took to the streets to condemn policies of the administration of Donald Trump, such as deporting immigrants, government layoffs and imposing tariffs, which they believe infringed on citizens' rights and violated the Constitution.Frank, who works for a nonprofit organization, told Xinhua that he came to protest in front of the White House against Trump and his administration, "who are working against the Constitution and working against the people.""I think Donald Trump is criminalizing people for using free speech, especially students and immigrants, and deporting people without due process," said Frank. "In the United States, everyone is assumed innocent until proven guilty, but Donald Trump is getting rid of people's visas and kicking them out of the country without any trial."Three months into Trump's presidency, his administration is only making the rich richer, Frank said. "All their policies are to make sure that the rich people who donated to his campaign get even richer. So ending taxes for the rich, ensuring that companies are stronger and more powerful, it's a billionaires' agenda, not the people's agenda," he said.Seated by the railing on the north side of the White House, the Wood couple held a sign reading "Congress = Cowards." They had driven over three hours from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, to join the protest.Mrs. Wood told Xinhua that Trump's deportation of illegal immigrants lacked due process, and everyone should have the opportunity to defend themselves in court. The Trump administration claims that those being deported are criminals, yet some were arrested simply for having tattoos."They're picking on people of color. It is totally racist ... It's white supremacy all the way," she said.Protesters gather during a rally outside the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong)An elderly protester holding a sign that reads "Grannies Against Trump," who chose not to reveal her name, told Xinhua that her granddaughter had worked for a contractor partnering with the U.S. Agency for International Development but was laid off after just six weeks in the position. She had to take a part-time job as a barista."There may be things like making the government smaller, saving dollars, that I agree with, but it's how you do it. How do you execute? Who do you hurt along the way, and what are your intentions and morality?" she said.For Sophie, who works with AmeriCorps, an agency for national service and volunteerism, the Trump administration's federal funding cuts are of great concern. She told Xinhua that the federal agency engages in community service across the nation, including environmental restoration, disaster relief, food assistance and early education programs."AmeriCorps is basically just doing different service projects across the United States, and that was sadly defunded, illegally raided," Sophie said. "It's just upsetting.""People in office right now care more about the 1 percent, just extremely rich people and not really the rest of this country," she said.Joining Sophie in the protest was Mackrie, a small business owner who runs a construction company in Virginia. She told Xinhua that President Trump promised to lower prices during his campaign, but is doing the exact opposite. The tariff policies currently implemented and under consideration are expected to raise her company's operating costs, including the prices of Canadian-imported lumber and office supplies, both of which are likely to increase."Prices are going to go up. Some people can't afford to live, and it's really sad," said Mackrie.Protesters gather during a rally outside the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 19, 2025. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)While expressing dissatisfaction with specific policies, protesters were deeply concerned about the weakening of the democratic system and the constitutional crisis. Many signs featured keywords like "due process," "constitutional crisis," and "restore democracy," reflecting a profound sense of concern among Americans about the state of democracy and the rule of law.As for the "Congress = Cowards" sign, the Wood couple explained that they were deeply disappointed with the Republican-controlled Congress for remaining silent on policies like immigrant deportations, tariff hikes and government layoffs, all of which have faced widespread public opposition."They're not doing their job. They're not standing up to be a balance against the other two branches of government, to give voice to our wishes, and they're doing the opposite," Mr Wood said.Mrs. Wood also said that the Supreme Court ruling of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has enabled billionaires to "buy their way into politics and Congress." She called for the repeal of the ruling, which allowed wealthy individuals, corporations and organizations to have a disproportionate influence on politics through massive spending on campaigns."There's too much money in politics," she said.Since Trump took office three months ago, protests against the policies of his administration have erupted frequently across the United States. Just on April 5, over 1,000 protests were held nationwide, covering all 50 states. In the capital of Washington D.C., protests have become a regular occurrence, driven by policies such as large-scale federal layoffs.Vivian, a 17-year-old high school student from northern Virginia, told Xinhua that her father had recently started bringing her to demonstrations in downtown Washington, D.C."While I'm only 17, and I can't yet get into the government, I'm tired of waiting and asking and begging adults to do their job. I want to see something happen now," said Vivian.