MIAMI (WSVN) - Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Downtown Miami to march in an immigration rally.
A crowd could be seen walking near Southwest Second Avenue and First Street, Wednesday afternoon. Traffic was brought to a standstill along Brickell Avenue as more than 100 demonstrators took to the streets.
Protesters started at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center around 6 p.m. to make their voices heard about immigration in the United States.
Now they’re calling on local lawmakers and their representatives in Congress to come up with a comprehensive plan to solve the immigration issue.
They want change in the Temporary Protected Status program as well as changes in the DACA policy of the Trump administration.
“I knew that the program was temporary. I already knew I was at risk, just like I was before,” said DACA recipient Margarito Cruz. “That’s why I’m here to fight for permanent protection for all.”
Many demonstrators also took issue with Trump’s comments concerning immigrants from Haiti and African countries.
The rally came as the Department of Homeland Security announced that Haitians will no longer be eligible for temporary work visas, citing high levels of fraud and abuse.
“This is wrong. This is cruel and inhumane because these are people who have been living here, who are working, who are gainfully employed, and whose nations are in turmoil,” said Marleine Bastien, of the Haitian Women of Miami.
Maria Rodriguez with the Florida Immigrant Coalition was one of the organizers for the rally.
“We need a fix for the 12 million people and families who’ve been living as second-class citizens – part of our economy, part of our community but are being criminalized,” Rodriguez said. “This week, Senator [Marco] Rubio has an opportunity to stand with Floridians who are victims of the detention deportation machinery and who are vulnerable to deportations. We’re asking for a fix. For the dreamers, 800,000 of them, for the TPS holders, 235,000 of them, many of them Haitians, Salvadorians, Hondurans. These are Floridians who deserve an opportunity to become legal, permanent residents and eventually citizens.”
Some people 7News spoke with said they took issue with the anti-immigrant rhetoric that came from the White House earlier this week.
“The broken immigration system is not much different from the broken criminal justice system, and in many ways, the broken economic system,” Rodriguez said. “Our communities are being criminalized. These are farm workers, hotel workers – these are integral to our community in Florida, and it’s a disgrace that we don’t have the right leadership at the local, state or federal level to advocate and push for a reform that will acknowledge the value that immigrants and immigration to our state.”
Many of the immigration advocates said they would like to see congress move forward with some type of legislation within the next month.
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