Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
RALLYING AGAINST TRUMP’S HARD LINE
They say zero-tolerance policy is the problem
WEST CHESTER » A large crowd of people turned out Sunday evening on the steps of the historical Chester County Courthouse to hold a protest vigil against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and in support local immigrant communities.
“This started with the separation of children from their families, but Trump’s zero-tolerance policy is a problem,” said event co-organizer Beth Sweet. “We want a clean DACA, a legal process for immigrants to enter the United States and reunification of families. There is no reason to detain families.”
West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin chastised the president for giving the nation little choice.
“This is a humanitarian crisis,” Herrin said. “President Trump is giving us false choices. We need to stand up to his policies.”
Co-organizer Clair Wit-
zleben when asked about Trump’s claim of large numbers of MS-13 drug gang members flowing into the country, said the president is taking an isolated situation and blowing it out of proportion. “He’s using it to smear all immigrants,” she said.
“We will not allow the torture of children,” called out Witzleben. “Show me what democracy looks like.”
“This is what democracy looks like,” answered the crowed.
For his part, despite signing an executive order ending the separation of families earlier this week, Trump was on the campaign trail this weekend and again talking tough on immigration.
On Sunday Trump compared people entering the U.S. from Mexico to invaders and said they should be immediately sent back without appearing before a judge.
More than 2,000 children are believed to have been separated from their parents before the policy was terminated. Trump officials have struggled to explain where all the children are and how they will be reunited with their parents.
The American Civil Liberties Union said in response that such a step would be illegal and violate the Constitution that Trump swore to uphold,
“We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country,” the president said on Twitter. “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.”
A number of women at the West Chester protest had writing on the back of their jackets similar to Melania Trump’s infamous “I don’t care” jacket, but theirs said “I do care.” One belonged to the Rev. Phoebe Kitson-Davis of West Chester.
“I care, we all should care,” Kitson-Davis said. “We need to work together to solve the problems. We need to learn how to share better, we need to help those in Central and South America.”
“I’m glad to see Congressman (Ryan) Costello, R-6 of West Goshen, speak out that Trump’s zero-tolerance policy is the cause of the crisis,” said Sweet.
Three counter protesters stood across street holding signs speaking out against illegal immigration. They declined to give their names. One man said this (illegal immigration) is a full-blown invasion of this country the only thing missing is are assault weapons.
“And I’m not some guy who has anger problems,” he said. “These people (illegal immigrants) don’t love the country, they are only coming here for the dinero.”
Garden Maguerian, a lawyer from Phoenixville, took the microphone to tell about being an immigrant from Uruguay and coming to this country in 1978.
“For my family, America more than lived up to their commitment to immigration, but now at the border children are mocked, and deprived of any emotional support or comfort when separated from their families,” Maguerian said.“One year ago did anyone think our government would be capable of inflicting such horrors? We are in a crisis. It is no time for apathy when the soul of our country is under threat. Let us work to again define America as a land of hope.”
One of the most stirring moments came from Sofia Soto, a 2018 graduate of Kennett High School who told the story of her father, who has been trying to get his immigration papers and as part of the process checked in with the immigration service. He has been detained since May 9. She said the uncertainty has wreaked havoc with her family. She ended her talk by calling on everyone to vote.
Organizers also called on those in attendance to vote, register other and to contact their congressman and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.
The rally was hosted by the East Goshen Democrats and the Concerned Constituent Action Group, both progressive county organizations. A coalition of action and advocacy groups from across the state also participated, including Shut Down Berks Coalition, ACLU of Pennsylvania, the Religious Council of Greater West Chester, Way Forward, the Chester County Peace Movement, Indivisible Chester County, Make the Road Action in PA, March for Our Lives West Chester, Indivisible Berks and Shut Down Berks Interfaith Witness.
Leo Olsen talked about the Berks County Detention Center run by ICE and called for its closure.
Alisha Jones, president and chief executive officer of La Communidad Hispana of Kennett Square, the longtime provider of health and social services for Latino immigrants in the county, thanked the crowd for their support.
During the vigil a downpour soaked the protesters, but few if any left. As the storm passed to the east a rainbow appeared, a hopeful sign for many in attendance.