Thousands March in Texas Against Separation of Immigrant Families at the Border
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of marches took place across the United States on Saturday as thousands of people demanded the Trump administration reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The protests, marching under the banner "Families Belong Together," are hoping to push the Trump administration to reunite thousands of immigrant children separated from their families after crossing into the U.s..
More than than 600 marches occurred throughout the land, from liberal, immigrant-friendly cities similar New York and Los Angeles to more conservative regions like Appalachia and Wyoming. American expats fifty-fifty gathered across from the U.S. consulate in Munich.
As approximately xxx,000 people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, they chanted, "Immigrants built this bridge." When they got to the city's Ice headquarters, protesters yelled "shame" at the building.
Closest to the state of affairs were the thousands who gathered on the border with United mexican states, especially in El Paso, Texas.
Thousands watched the Facebook livestream of the "Families Belong Together" rally in Washington where parents, children and religion leaders took turns to speak out against the Trump assistants policy. Lin-Manuel Miranda took the stage and sang a song from his celebrated musical "Hamilton" to the protesters.
"Nosotros will non stand for a country separating children from their families," Miranda told MSNBC. "And if you are silent on that issue, or you are somehow for that consequence you're not getting re-elected. And that'due south what we need to make them understand."
Meanwhile, civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., reminded demonstrators in Atlanta of how effective the rallies he organized in the 1960s were in combating segregation and inequality. This was some other moment in which to fight back, he said.
"Equally a nation and a people nosotros can do better," Lewis said. "Don't give upwards. Don't give in. Keep marching."
The congressman urged attendees to vote in the upcoming ballot to stymie the administration and future policies, and the crowd responded with a chant of "vote, vote, vote."
More than 2,300 children were taken from their families in recent weeks under the Trump assistants's "zilch tolerance" policy in which people entering the U.Southward. illegally face existence prosecuted. Just later on public outcry earlier this calendar month, President Donald Trump ordered that the families crossing into the country illegally no longer be separated.
However, more than 2,000 children still remain separated from their parents. Saturday'south marches promise to put pressure level on the administration to reunify these families as chop-chop as possible.
Demonstrators lifted their fists and numerous, colorful signs. A 4-year-old in Washington D.C. raised one that read "I get my mommy. Why can't she?" A New Yorker raised a sign that said "Amerikkka: separating families since 1619." In El Paso, Texas, some other said, "I really practise care. Do y'all?" a reference to the jacket worn by commencement lady Melania Trump last week equally she headed for the edge to visit children separated from their families.
Iliana Pech Cruz came to the Washington rally because she is a DACA recipient from Mexico, who came to the Us equally an babe. She drove from her home in Northward Canton, Ohio.
"I'thousand hither to fight for everybody that deserves the rights in this country," she said. "We'll come when Trump is here, when he's not, when he's vacationing on his golf course, it doesn't matter where he is because we're hither to fight. I'g not afraid of what might happen to DACA recipients. My parents taught me never to walk in fearfulness."
More than than 100 protesters gathered outside the Trump National Golf Society in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the president is spending the weekend.
On the way, we passed a group of more than than 100 protesters gathered in a grassy area at the closest major intersection to the property, well-nigh two and a half miles from the entrance.
Cristina Jimenez, co-founder and Executive Director of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country, hopes the Families Vest Together march will mobilize the fight confronting the administration's criminalization of immigrant communities.
"This is the critical moment to mobilize the community, mobilize the entire country and people of conscience who are looking at the media and agreement more than of what this country is doing, especially ICE and deportation agents, and nosotros want to take a stand together with the remainder of the state," Cristina Jimenez, co-founder and executive director of United We Dream, largest immigrant youth-led network in the country, told NBC News.
Jimenez said her organization is asking "Congress to stop Trump's deportation forcefulness and ensuring that as the administration asks for more money to target community with Ice and border patrol agents, nosotros say no and cancel and defund them."
Trump was already tweeting about immigration in the hours leading up to the march, referencing a growing call from immigration advocates to abolish U.S. Immigration and Community Enforcement.
"The Democrats are making a strong push to abolish Water ice, one of the smartest, toughest and most spirited law enforcement groups of men and women that I have always seen. I have watched Ice liberate towns from the grasp of MS-thirteen & make clean out the toughest of situations. They are great!" Trump tweeted.
In a follow-up tweet, Trump urged the men and women of ICE non to worry virtually the ongoing calls to abolish the department.
"You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements. And so dauntless! The radical left Dems desire you out. Next information technology volition be all constabulary. Zero run a risk, It will never happen!" he wrote.
Rallies against Trump's immigration policy have sprung upwardly in the weeks since its implementation, just Saturday's could be among the largest yet and have received funding and support from the American Ceremonious Liberties Union, MoveOn.org, the National Domestic Workers Brotherhood and The Leadership Conference. Local organizers have coordinated on-the-basis planning, and many take relied on informal networks established during worldwide women's marches on Trump's inauguration and its anniversary.
Tyler Houlton, a spokesman for the U.South. Department of Homeland Security, welcomed interest in the immigration arrangement and said merely Congress has the power to change the police force.
"We capeesh that these individuals have expressed an interest in and concern with the critical issue of securing our nation'due south borders and enforcing our clearing laws," Houlton said. "Every bit we have indicated before, the department is disappointed and frustrated past our nation's disastrous immigration laws and supports activity."
Immigrant advancement groups say they're thrilled — and surprised — to meet the event gaining traction among those non tied to immigration.
"Honestly, I am blown away. I have literally never seen Americans show upward for immigrants like this," said Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which represents nannies, housekeepers and caregivers, many of whom are immigrants. "Nosotros just kept hearing over and over again, if it was my child, I would want someone to do something."
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-across-u-s-join-keep-families-together-march-protest-n888006
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