FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Democratic lawmakers held a rally for immigration reform in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of people gathered outside of the Broward Federal Courthouse as they blasted the Trump administration’s rhetoric and policies when it comes to dealing with families who cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I’m speechless about this immigration issue,” said a protester.
Addressing the large crowd, a woman said, “None of us are free until all of us are free!”
Last week, Trump signed an executive order that would stop the policy of separating migrant children from their families. Protesters said the commander in chief had crossed a line.
“I can’t imagine how your child could be ripped away from you, and our government is allowing that right now,” said protester Daniel Rossy.
Sunday’s rally takes place a day after an estimated 1,500 people walked more than a mile to a detention facility in Homestead that houses more than 1,000 undocumented children.
Earlier on Saturday, members of Congress toured the campus. They agreed the conditions were fair, but the children’s situation remains unjust.
“Generally, what we saw were children who are housed in a clean but barracks-style facility,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
With Democratic lawmakers on the front lines of the demonstrations, Trump took to Twitter Sunday to go on the attack, criticizing Democrats and past administrations.
We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came. Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order. Most children come without parents…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2018
….Our Immigration policy, laughed at all over the world, is very unfair to all of those people who have gone through the system legally and are waiting on line for years! Immigration must be based on merit – we need people who will help to Make America Great Again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2018
Opponents of the current administration’s immigration policies said their biggest issue is that, even though Trump has promised to keep families together, there’s no blueprint for that to happen.
Nevertheless, Trump administration officials released a fact sheet on “zero-tolerance prosecution and family reunification” stating that the government knows where all migrant children in their custody are located and is working to reunite them with their families.
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