Here’s how you can join the immigration policy protests on June 30th
As many readers surely know, the Trump administration has sanctioned the separation of approximately 2,000 children from their parents at the U.S. southern border. Many of the families currently separated were seeking asylum from dangers like domestic and gang violence. As reports of thousands of children detained in converted Walmart stores and tent cities surfaced, the policy sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle.
And while today, June 20th, Donald Trump signed an executive order that will allegedly keep families together going forward and reunite those already torn apart, the “zero tolerance” immigration policy will remain intact — meaning that many families coming to the U.S. for asylum will be imprisoned…just imprisoned together.
And people across the nation are planning a protest for June 30th to challenge the policy.
On MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes on June 18th, Representative Pramila Jayapal announced a mass mobilization. She said that the national march will begin at 11 a.m. at Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., but sister marches will take place in other cities. The congresswoman said that hundreds of organizations were sponsoring the march, including the advocacy group MoveOn.
"We see the outrage, and we see that this has to be taken right to the White House, right to Donald Trump," Jayapal told Hayes on the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyVPBj9nDMg?feature=oembed
While President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to reunite families, it’s still unclear when or how this will happen, and the Families Belong Together protests (as they’re still being called) remain planned for June 30th. Anna Galland, the Executive Director of MoveOn, tweeted that Trump is likely to move children to detention centers with their parents, and until families are together and free, the demonstrations will continue.
June 30th #FamiliesBelongTogether protests are ON. Trump's shift – thanks to public outrage – means kids and babies will still be in jail. This isn't a fix; it's making baby jails permanent. Reunite the families. End baby jails. Work for freedom. JOIN US: https://t.co/0KcLXHgAUb
— Anna Galland (@annagalland) June 20, 2018
Following on this: From all reports, Trump’s exec order will tee up *indefinite detention of babies & children* with their parents. Kids will still be in jail. We need families together–and free. Pressure is clearly working. Let’s ramp it up. #FamiliesBelongTogether
— Anna Galland (@annagalland) June 20, 2018
So how can you get involved?
If you want to participate in the June 30th protests, you can register online at familiesbelongtogether.org. The movement’s website also contains information about where sister marches will occur and has a petition you can sign to demand that Trump end the zero-tolerance policy. And if you can’t attend an in-person protest, but still want to help immigrant families, you can contact your representatives or donate to organizations dedicated to helping those affected.
