Birmingham Rallies Against Trump’s Immigration Policy
Demonstrators fanned out across Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park Saturday to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. It was one of hundreds of such rallies across the U.S. calling for children to be immediately reunited with their families.
The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance policy” separated more than 2,500 undocumented children from their parents who had tried to enter the U.S. illegally, many of whom were seeking asylum from violence and persecution. Most of those children still haven’t been reunited with their parents.
Speakers with several Alabama immigrant rights groups and faith leaders took to the stage to call on people to stay involved. A young Hispanic girl addressed the crowd and asked them what they would do if she was taken away from her parents. Others, including Ashfaq Taufique, president of the Birmingham Islamic Society, emphasized the role Birmingham plays, given it is steeped in civil rights history, in changing the course of American policy.
Birmingham pediatrician Dr. Morissa Ladinsky spoke of the ill health effects children suffer as a result of being separated from their parents. “Pediatricians are here to protect and promote your health,” she said. “Children matter. Families matter,” she said. “We’re not backing down.” She said she stood by the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics Karen Craft’s statement that Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border “amounts to child abuse.”
A representative with the organization Shut Down Etowah, which calls for the closure of the Etowah County’s immigrant detention center, spoke about the poor conditions and inhumane treatment detainees face there. Many of those detainees are brought in from other states. Detainees there often spend years awaiting deportation or immigration hearings.
Immigrant justice groups such as the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama and Adelante urged vigilance and action in the event of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. ICE reportedly conducted raids in Alabaster and possibly Homewood last week.
Gigi Douban
Demonstrators took up most of Kelly Ingram Park Saturday to protest Trump’s immigration policy at the Families Belong Together rally.
Venezuela’s exiles in Chile caught between hope and uncertainty
Initial joy among Venezuela's diaspora in Chile has given way to caution, as questions grow over what Maduro's capture means for the country — and for those who fled it.
Sunday Puzzle: Pet theory
NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer plays the puzzle with KAMW listener Daniel Abramson of Albuquerque, N.M, and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Inside a Gaza medical clinic at risk of shutting down after an Israeli ban
A recent Israeli decision to bar Doctors Without Borders and other aid groups means international staff and aid can no longer enter Gaza or the West Bank. Local staff must rely on dwindling supplies and no international expertise.
Iran warns US troops and Israel will be targets if America strikes over protests as death toll rises
Iran's parliament speaker warned the U.S. military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Donald Trump.
Bob Weir, guitarist and founding member of the Grateful Dead, has died at 78
For three decades with the Grateful Dead and three more after the group ended following the 1995 death of his bandmate Jerry Garcia, Weir helped build and sustain the band's legacy across generations.
Nationwide anti-ICE protests call for accountability after Renee Good’s death
Activist organizations are planning at least 1,000 protests and vigils this weekend. Officials in major cities cast Saturday's demonstrations as largely peaceful.
