People in the US city of Boston, Massachusetts, have staged a massive gathering to protests President Donald Trump’s decision to end legal protections for undocumented immigrant children that enter the US illegally.
Hundreds of angry protesters marched to the John F. Kennedy Federal Building on Saturday afternoon to demand protection for over 800,000 immigrant children who will be left in limbo once Congress end the the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.
The protesters condemned Trump’s crackdown on immigration, chanting, “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here,” and, “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” — which in Spanish means, “The people united will never be defeated.”
They also carried placards and signs that read: “My dreams are not illegal,” “Welcome refugees,” and “Illegal immigration started in 1492,” the year Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made his first voyage to America.
“This is not just about DACA. This is not just about youth. We… are not going back into the shadows. We need permanent protection, something we don’t have to renew,” said a 20-year-old DACA recipient.
The protest was planned days before US Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement on September 5 about the phased removal of the program.
Faced with criticism on both sides of the isle, Trump has managed to strike a deal with Democrats on DACA’s removal.
The Republican president invited top Democrats in Senate and the House of Representatives over to the White House for dinner on Wednesday to discuss his immigration plans.
Much to his Republican Party’s astonishment, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said they had agreed to on protecting the nearly 800,000 immigrants covered by DACA while also working on improving border security.
The new agreement specifically includes bipartisan legislation called the DREAM Act, which paves the way for the young immigrants to gain US citizenship upon meeting a certain criteria, a source told the Associated Press.
Protesters said Saturday that immigrants had a right to chase their dreams in the US.
"My parents were the original dreamers of them bringing me here, of their dream to get me and my siblings a better life, and for them to get a better life," said one protester. "So they should not be deported, they should be here and feel safe."