LOS ANGELES >> Recent polls will tell you there’s been a drop in national pride among Americans, particularly Democrats in the Trump era, with some questioning whether to celebrate July Fourth at all this year.

But Scott Allen, a registered Democrat in Southern California, isn’t one of them. He planned to commemorate the nation’s 249th birthday with a politically mixed group of neighbors who will grill out and light off fireworks.

He said he’d be thinking of his U.S. Marine father, and about how proud he is that “we have the freedom to do all the things we do.”

“We can have protests. We can have free speech,” said Allen, 60, who lives in Lakewood, just south of Los Angeles.

This Independence Day may have felt different for many Americans. Around the country, there were protests against Trump’s polices, and in places like Southern California, where immigration raids have rattled communities, some July Fourth celebrations were canceled.

Fireworks prices were impacted by tariffs. And holiday travel was expected to break records.

California celebrations canceled

Several communities in the Los Angeles area canceled Independence Day festivities due to safety concerns over Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The raids have triggered weeks of protests across the city and led Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines.

The Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno canceled its parade after 90% of participants dropped out.

Organizer Genny Guerrero said the majority Latino community is “very patriotic.” But many people are avoiding events out of fear of immigration agents.

“The fact that they’re taking anyone that is brown, regardless of citizenship, that puts everyone in jeopardy,” Guerrero said.

A downtown block party, which drew 20,000 people last year, was postponed. Suburbs in southeastern Los Angeles, such as Bell Gardens, have canceled celebrations altogether.

Events planned in protest

Meanwhile, some Independence Day events protested Trump’s policies.

Many of the protests were organized under the banner of “Free America,” a nod to 1776’s spirit of independence from tyranny and authoritarian rule, which protesters described as their aim. And while the atmosphere of the demonstrations was largely festive, with music, dancing and food vendors, protesters were resolute in their cause.

They pointed to a wide range of issues that inspired them to come out, including immigration raids, education cuts, concerns about democracy and, more specifically, the passage of President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill, which cuts taxes for the wealthy and slashes safety-net programs for the poor. He signed the measure Friday afternoon.

“It’s our nation’s birthday, but I don’t think we are the nation that was founded almost 250 years ago,” said Lynn Kardasz, a U.S. Navy veteran who attended a protest in Chicago. “With the passage of Trump’s big bill yesterday, our democracy has ceased to exist.”

Tariffs and fireworks

The vast majority of fireworks in the U.S. are made in China, said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.

As the trade war with China escalated, tariffs on Chinese-made fireworks reached 145% in April, Heckman said. Trump issued a 90-day pause in May, leaving current tariffs on Chinese fireworks at 30%.

The tariffs would have little impact on city fireworks shows because the shells were purchased months ago, Heckman said. She’s hearing from retailers who sell the backyard fireworks that they’re not passing on the 30% tariffs to consumers.

But it’ll be a different story next year, Heckman said, because 30% tariffs — or anything higher — are not sustainable for business. The industry is casting a wary eye toward 2026.

“Every small town in America is going to want a special firework display to honor America’s 250th,” Heckman said.

Record-breaking holiday travel

Auto club AAA expected more than 72 million people to travel at least 50 miles from home. AAA’s forecast included two weekends to better reflect the holiday travel.

Nearly 62 million people were estimated to travel by car, a 2.2% bump over 2024, making it the highest volume on record, AAA said. Drivers have seen some price increases at the pump, but summer gas prices are still the lowest they’ve been since 2021.

Meanwhile, nearly six million people were expected to fly — 4% more than last year, AAA said. The Federal Aviation Administration said this would be the busiest July Fourth week in 15 years.

This report includes information from the New York Times.