Protests erupted on Saturday at airports throughout the country in response to Donald Trump’s executive order banning Muslims from 7 countries he doesn’t do business with.
On Saturday afternoon New York Representatives Nydia Velasquez and Jerry Nadler rushed to JFK airport and secured the release of an Iraqi being detained who had papers and whose job was translating for the US government. Velasquez said, “Look Mr. President. This is America. What you have done is shameful. It’s un-American and it has created so much confusion not only among working families and working families in America, but also it is creating confusion in the people who are working in Homeland Security."
Protesters at JFK chanted “This is what Democracy looks like” and “When Muslim Lives Are Under Attack, What do we do? Stand Up! Fight Back” for hours at JFK. Taxi drivers stopped working in a protest organized by the New York Taxi Alliance who said No to the unconstitutional order banning Muslims from entering the country.
Later in the day another of the 12 being detained was released and by the evening the ACLU had a victory. A federal judge, Judge Anne Donnelly, of the Eastern District of NY, issued an emergency stay. This stopped Donald Trump’s Executive Order countrywide.
Cheers erupted at JFK and at airports around the country when this was announced. But activists and protesters vow to keep up the pressure. Defiant, angry New Yorkers say to Donald Trump, "No Hate! No Fear! Immigrants are welcome here!
