Migrant kids’ LaG arrival stirs protest

Hours after President Trump signed an executive order to stop children from being snatched away from their asylum-seeking parents at the southern border, several planes carrying migrant kids from Texas were still coming into LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday night.

At least seven boys were seen being escorted through a Terminal B security gate a little before 9 p.m. after getting off an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, The New York Times reported. Police officers escorted the boys, all wearing dark hoodies, outside into a van with tinted windows. It was unclear if these children had indeed been separated from their parents, The Times said.

American Airlines released a statement earlier in the day condemning the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, calling it “not at all aligned with the values of American Airlines.”

“We have therefore requested the federal government to immediately refrain from using American for the purpose of transporting children who have been separated from their families due to the current immigration policy,” the statement read.

Flight attendants were disgusted to see that their employer seemingly hadn’t stuck to their word.

“They lied to us,” one American Airlines attendant told The Times as the youths were driven away. “It’s disgusting what they did.”

American Airlines later released a second statement, saying that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told them “these individuals are being reunited with family members who live in the United States,” according to The Times.

Over 100 protesters quickly descended onto the terminal after hearing word about the childrencarrying flights, hoisting signs that said, “No Estan Solos” (“You are not alone”) and “Estamos Contigo,” which translates to “We’re with you.”

“I’m here because I wanna do anything I can to make a difference for these children,” said Donna Edwards, a 37-year-old physician from Queens. “My hope is that they’ll be reunited with their families soon.”

“I’m still crying and crying for seeing the babies in the jail,” said Leticia Pazmino, 60. “I can’t believe the President treat the kids like that.”

Several immigration advocacy organizations took to Twitter to rally supporters.