At the “March Against Family Separation” on June 25. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
June 26, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
Hundreds of people turned up to rally in Woodside yesterday to rail against the Trump administration’s policy of separating families of undocumented immigrants on the Mexican border.
Attendees carrying colorful signs with expressions of unity and criticism of the Trump administration gathered at St. Sebastian’s Roman Catholic Church just after 7 p.m. yesterday, where Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer led the “March Against Family Separation”.
Van Bramer, joined by several local groups, including Woodside on the Move, Make the Road New York, and the local Girl Scouts troop, spoke to the administration’s recent “zero-tolerance” policy that separated families crossing the border illegally.
While Trump has since signed an executive order to now keep arriving families together in detention, yesterday’s march was a continued act of resistance against the administration, and an affirmation of Queens’ values, Van Bramer said.
“Donald Trump may have been raised in this borough, but what he says, what he believes, is not what we believe in Queens,” Van Bramer said. “That is not who we are in Queens.”
He added: “We have a president who talks about immigrants infesting our country, invading our country. He must not get away with this.”
The Council Member said immigrants are being criminalized for fleeing violence in their home country, when past generations of migrants fled to America for the same reasons.
Protestors marching down Roosevelt Avenue toward Greenpoint Avenue at the “March Against Family Separation”. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
The protesters, stretching the length of about three blocks, then walked to Thomas P. Noonan Playground on 43rd Street and Greenpoint Avenue chanting expressions including “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”
Susan Hudes, a Sunnyside resident at the march with her young son, said the gravity of the situation at the southern border is serious.
“Our hearts are breaking over the current situation,” Hudes said. “It’s an emergency.”
Saber Kan and Lisia Leon, a couple from Jackson Heights who just welcomed their twin daughters to the world, said their newborns are part of the reason why they’re at the march.
“We are kids of immigrants,” Saber said. “We’re upset by the children being separated and their families treated like non-humans.”
The march ended with a note from Van Bramer pointing to more shows of opposition against the Trump administration.
“This is not the end,” Van Bramer said. “This is part of a sustained resistance.”
Protestors at Thomas P. Noonan Playground for the “March Against Family Separation”. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
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26 Comments
The average citizen doesn’t benefit from all these illegal immigrants, it only benefits these bozo politicians.
Citizen – These immigrants benefit the people who hire them. Did Fox News forget to tell you that?
I all for keeping families together. Send the wife and kids with papi. No family should be split up.
First smart sensible comment ever from el dumbo
i’m quite upset at trump. no family would ever be split up if he just built the wall he promised, since they would all have been kept out in the first place. and now we have stupid bs marches from people that dont have jobs.
We are so DUMB in america time to call out the retarded…1 video proves they need to learn how to read write and speak English.. https://www.facebook.com/ChicksOnTheRight/videos/10160573711630494/
Trump signed an excutive order a few days before saying that families will be kept together in detention, so why the hell are we marching?
The terror against immigrants continues
It’s not as if Trump has waffled and not been totally clear. No need to demand accountability. Amen
Just Wait for the Russian trolls
where was he when obama did it?
Trying to come out of his closet.
Classy, a homophobic comment about the councilman. We know what you stand for.
Gary- the man is not in the closet. Sounds like a little projectionism going on here.
Did what?
Question, now that Whimp Trump has shut down his daycare centers. What happens when an illegal has an anchor baby while in custody. Is that anchor baby a citizen.
Anchor babies are American citizens but the mother/father is not so they will have a choice…. leave the baby or take the baby back home and when the baby becomes an adult at 18 you can come back legally and bring your mother/father with you…..
As long as the Trump administration ignores the people hiring illegal aliens and enticing these desperate people over the boarder, the illegal immigrant matter will never be resolved. He can build ten walls as long as he makes the employers hiring illegal aliens pay for them, a true zero tolerance policy. It still won’t work but at least the public wouldn’t have paid for the walls. Welcome to Trumps cruel dog and pony show.
The thing about billion dollar walls is that there are $30 ladders taller then them
* 4 Billion
By the way. No healthcare for poor people — that’s commie stuff. Also no helping refugees or people fleeing violence, especially innocent kids. We have no money to spare for that — we’re only the richest nation in the world.
Illegal is Illegal what doesn’t this counsel person understand.
Laws are made by flawed human beings. Often laws are unjust.
Bad grammar, for starters.
It’s one nation under god, and God says that family is #1 commandments. Moral people should not support splitting innocent children from there family.
Why doesn’t your magical god teleport them into the US and give them citizenship?
God is trying to lead them to a better life, and evil people are in their way.
No such thing as teleports. Look in to reverse commute.