keep families together

Families Belong Together Rallies Unite People Across the Country to Protest Trump’s Immigration Policies

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Hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets in a series of rallies across the country to protest Trump’s zero tolerance immigration policy. The marches are operating under the banner of Families Belong Together, a non-profit dedicated to reuniting children with their parents. Over 600 marches are currently taking place across the country, from major cities to small towns, where crowds have gathered to stand in opposition to ICE’s inhumane policy of separating parents from children and then imprisoning children in detention centers. This will go down as the biggest immigrant rights march in U.S. history.

“Honestly, I am blown away. I have literally never seen Americans show up for immigrants like this,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “We just kept hearing over and over again, if it was my child, I would want someone to do something.” As crowds mobilize across the country, they are joined by politicians and celebrities alike who condemn the actions of the administration and are calling to abolish ICE. Lin-Manuel Miranda took the stage in Washington D.C. to sing a lullaby for the children separated from their families:

Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis marched in Atlanta and gave a stirring speech, telling the crowd “We may have to turn American upside down to turn it right-side up. As a nation and a people we can do better,” Lewis said. “Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep marching.” In addition, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have called for ICE to be abolished.

Looking for more ways to help? Donate to organizations working to reunite families like RAICES, The Florence Project, and the ACLU. If you weren’t able to make it to a march, you can watch the live-stream of the D.C. rally here:

(via NBC News, image: EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.