More than 200 people gathered in Charlottesville’s downtown mall Thursday night to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn reports.
The First Amendment Monument on Charlottesville's downtown mall was adorned with photos of immigrants who have been arrested by ICE over the past several months, and posters outlining the impact of Trump's immigration policies.
Dan Doernberg, an organizer with Indivisible Charlottesville, told the crowd that recent deportation practices violate constitutional rights.
DAN DOERNBERG: We've come together here today to demand due process and rule of law for our immigrant neighbors.
Karen Mann, a pastor with Sojourners United Church of Christ in Charlottesville, was one of several speakers at the event. She referenced an incident at the Albemarle County courthouse in April in which two people were detained by masked men claiming to be federal agents, and taken away in an unmarked van, as The Daily Progress first reported.
KAREN MANN: I call on our elected officials to publicly denounce such arrests and do everything they can to ensure that residents of our community can take care of their civic business without fear and live in peace.
Javier Raudales, the executive director of the immigrant advocacy non-profit Sin Barreras, which is Spanish for "without barriers," said he's sensed a palpable fear when working with community members.
JAVIER RAUDALES: I think of how this is the first time in my life that when I leave home, my mom says, "take your ID." It's not because I'm gonna go driving, it's because they're stopping people who look like me.
The rally also included a fundraiser for Sin Barreras, and an immigrant information center for community members to get involved in the movement.
