Pro-illegal immigrant groups across the country protested in major sanctuary city hubs to decry President-Elect Donald Trump’s upcoming Inauguration Ceremony. The sanctuary cities carry out policies to shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration law enforcement officials.
Protesters holding signs reading “Immigrant Rights = Workers Rights = Human Rights” and “No Muslim Registry,” marched in cities such as Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois and San Jose, as the Associated Press reported, all of which have existing sanctuary city policies in place.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told a crowd at an anti-Trump protest in Washington D.C., “We are not going to allow Donald Trump to bury the Statue of Liberty.”
“We are a nation for all people, regardless of religion, regardless of background, regardless of who you love,” the junior Maryland senator continued.
Illegal immigrants also spoke at rallies, and to the Associated Press, about being proud of their illegal status in the country.
“I stand here because I have nothing to apologize for,” 19 year-old Max Kim, an illegal immigrant, told the Associated Press. “I am not ashamed of my status because it is a constant reminder to myself that I have something to fight for.”
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago Chairman Dr. Bassam Osman told more than 1,000 protesters in the “Windy City,” “Lord, this land is your land, it is not Trump’s land.”
Rehab Alkadi, a 31 year-old Syrian refugee, told the Associated Press that Trump has “said a lot of things bad about the Muslim people.”
The protests come just days before Trump is set to take the oath of office. During his campaign and transition period, Trump has promised to fix the country’s broken immigration system, starting with a border wall along the US-Mexico Southern border.
Trump has also said he will halt all immigration from countries in the world which have been compromised by Islamic terrorism and extremism.
The cities where the majority of the pro-illegal immigrant rallies took place are already considered to be sanctuary cities. President-elect Trump has threatened to not only defund sanctuary cities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) could also seek legal action against these cities for failing to comply with federal immigration law.
John Binder is a contributor for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
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