Protesters have turned out in cities across America against planned mass raids on the homes of illegal immigrants in a crackdown by Donald Trump on people in the country illegally.

Starting tomorrow, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials are being sent to arrest thousands of people who do not have documentation to remain.

Families who could be affected are living in fear, saying they are afraid to leave their homes, and staying off work in case they are split up from their loved ones.

Many are worried they could be separated from their children if they are deported.

The raids will take place over multiple days and include “collateral” deportations, The New York Times reported – so agents might detain people not being targeted but who happen to be there during the raids.

Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Show all 30 1 /30 Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Members of the caravan of Central American migrants climb the border wall in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico EPA Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border US Border Patrol agents seen through the concertina wire where the border meets the Pacific Ocean AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Central American migrants pray at a temporary shelter in Tijuana AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Darwin, a 12 year old migrant boy from Honduras, looks out from under a tarp while taking refuge at a shelter in Tijuana Reuters Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Central American migrants line up for a meal at a shelter in Tijuana AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Angel, a 13-year-old migrant from Honduras looks towards the United States past the border fence in Tijuana Reuters Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Members of the LGBTQ community -who split from a caravan of Central American migrants heading to the US- arrive at the Diversidad Migrante (Migrant Diversity) NGO headquarters, which they will use as shelter, in Tijuana AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border US military personell install barbed wire fences to stop the passage of Central American migrants EPA Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Young Honduran migrant Daniel Gamez waits with his family in a line for a meal after arriving with the Central America migrant caravan in Tijuana AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Two women, one carrying a child, walk north after crossing illegally into the United States as a Border Patrol agent moves in to detain them AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border epa07165763 People who are part of the first migrant caravan from Honduras start arriving at the border, in Tijuana, Mexico, 14 November 2018. The first migrant caravan advances through the northwest of Mexico as the US has reinforced its military presence at the border. EPA/Joebeth Terriquez Joebeth Terriquez EPA Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A child looks out the window of a bus upon its arrival at a temporary shelter in Tijuana AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Migrants from Honduras dry their clothes in the sand after washing off in the Pacific Ocean AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Central American migrants at a temporary shelter near the US-Mexico border AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border US police agents stand guard near the US-Mexico border fence AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A migrant, who claimed not to be part of the Central American migrant caravan walks on the US-Mexico border fence AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Eldin, a migrant man from Honduras, awakes next to his seven year old son Jose while taking refuge at a shelter in Tijuana Reuters Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Migrants line up for food at a shelter AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A man installs concertina wire on top of the border structure on the US side AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Central American migrants sit on an overlook in Tijuana AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A migrant, who is part of a caravan traveling en route to the United States, shouts as he waits to receive food in a shelter in Tijuana REUTERS Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A man tries to get over a border structure topped with concertina wire AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border People who are part of the Central American migrants caravan arrive at a shelter EPA Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A Central American migrant moving towards the United States in hopes of a better life, is pictured next to the U.S. border fence in Playas de Tijuana, Mexico, on November 13, 2018. - US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he will visit the US-Mexico border, where thousands of active-duty soldiers have been deployed to help border police prepare for the arrival of a "caravan" of migrants. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP)GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP/Getty Images GUILLERMO ARIAS AFP/Getty Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border epa07174393 Members of the Central American migrant caravan remain at a shelter in the city of Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico, 18 November 2018. The 5,000 member migrant caravan that entered Mexico on 19 October that stopped this week in the city of Tijuana, bordering the US, are expected to meet in this city on the next day to make a decision about their future, according to local authorities. EPA/JOEBETH TERRIQUEZ JOEBETH TERRIQUEZ EPA Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Migrants pray at a temporary shelter in Tijuana AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border Migrants shower outside a temporary migrant shelter next to the Us-Mexico border fence Getty Images Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border US Border Patrol agents, left, speak with two Central American migrants as they sit atop the border structure AP Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A Central American migrant looks on through the US-Mexico border fence AFP/Getty Images Migrant caravan reaches Tijuana on US border A migrant stands next to the border fence REUTERS

Immigration lawyers and opposition Democrats are up in arms, and activists have circulated know-your-rights pocket guides, information on what to do if agents arrive at the door and hotline numbers.

Tens of thousands of people joined demonstrations in cities from Denver to Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and New York, following vigils outside detention centres yesterday.

At least 2,000 immigrant families are expected to be targeted – many of them central Americans who recently crossed the US southern border – which would yield about 200 arrests, based on previous crackdowns. Mr Trump has said on Twitter that agents planned to arrest millions of illegal immigrants.

The president said authorities were “focused on criminals as much as we can before we do anything else”.

“It starts on Sunday and they’re going to take people out and they’re going to bring them back to their countries or they’re going to take criminals out, put them in prison, or put them in prison in the countries they came from,” he said.

The 10 cities where raids may be expected are Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans.

In Denver, where about 50,000 people live illegally, about 2,000 protesters rallied at a detention centre, calling for the closure of all such facilities in the country, which they dubbed “human concentration camps”.

Patty Lampman, of organising group Lights for Liberty, told crowds the protest would not be stopped “until all these camps are closed and every child is free”. The crowd roared in approval.

The crackdown is inflaming the political debate over immigration as Mr Trump appeals to his core supporters and Democrats cast his administration as inhumane.

Similar operations occurred in 2016 under Barack Obama and in 2017 under Mr Trump but it is highly unusual to announce an enforcement sting in advance. The president had postponed it two weeks ago.

Matthew Albence, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the family operation was nothing new, and that families may be temporarily housed in hotels until they can be moved to a detention centre or deported.

If ICE runs out of space, it may be forced to separate some families, Mr Albence said.