Protests are planned nationwide Thursday over the Trump administration’s policy separating immigrant parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The organization Families Belong Together, which formed in response to the policy implemented earlier this year, announced dozens of events after holding a “Day of Action” on June 1.
“As parents, it is unconscionable that the US government is actively tearing apart immigrant families,” the group’s organizers said in a release about Thursday’s events. “They are victims of violence, hunger, and poverty and our government’s actions re-violate them, causing untold damage.”
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“This is violent abuse and as concerned citizens and voters we state, unequivocally, that this is not in line with American values,” the statement reads. “We are calling for immediate reforms and an end to this barbarism.”
Events, including rallies and vigils, are planned in more than 60 cities and towns in the U.S., according to Families Belong Together.
The Trump administration enacted a “zero tolerance” policy at the border earlier this year, mandating that everyone apprehended illegally entering the U.S. face criminal charges. Children and their parents are prosecuted separately, resulting in their separation.
The policy has faced massive backlash from Democrats and immigration advocates. Senate Democrats introduced legislation last week to prevent the separation of immigrant children from their parents at the border.
President Trump has attempted to blame Democrats for the policy, calling on them to pass legislation to change the law.