Protesters gather at DTW to rally against refugee ban
“Don’t ban my family.”
On Sunday, the latest round of protests regarding President Trump’s newest policy took place at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). Protesters from all around Michigan, including students from the University of Michigan and Michigan State, crowded around the sidewalk and baggage claim areas at the Macnamera Terminal from 4pm to 6pm, carrying signs saying things like “Love Trumps Hate” and “Don’t Ban My Family,” and chanting, “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here.”
The demonstration, which occurred alongside similar events at airports across the country, was a way for people to show their frustration with Trump’s newest executive order. The order, signed on Saturday, bars travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., causing some to christen it “The Muslim Ban.”
As arrivals were halted around the country, refugees and even permanent U.S. residents were detained by border patrol, and college students, among others, are now unable to return to the U.S. after having visited family members abroad. This has lead to protests around the country, with lawyers and refugee advocates flocking to America’s airports to try to circumvent the ban.
Before the executive order was passed, Michigan was the state receiving the second highest number of Syrian refugees, with its high immigrant population in places like Dearborn and Hamtramck, where there were also rallies held today.