Trump’s tough immigration stance sparks backlash across US

The immigration policy of US President Donald Trump once again reignited controversies in June when families who were detained for illegal entry were separated at the border.

Trump himself has made no secret that his administration will come down hard on immigration and this has clearly been reflected in his policies since taking office, from H-1B restrictions to the phasing out of temporary protected status. The latest move however has proven to be a bit too far even for members of the Republican Party as well as his wife, Melania Trump, resulting in an outcry that saw many taking to the streets to express solidarity with those detained.

Although Trump has defended that his “zero-tolerance” policy will keep the border safe, most beg to differ by saying that the policy was too harsh and could have traumatizing effects on the separated children. Trump eventually backed down by signing an executive order that allows families to stay together upon detention. While the move might have taken away some heat, the approval for his administration’s handling of immigration matters was less than impressive. A Washington Post poll in early July indicated that only 39 percent Americans agreed with his heavy-handed approach, highlighting the amount of disdain by the public on his latest move.

As mentioned earlier, the disapproval does not only involve discourse on social media but also on the streets when activists organized major protest marches across the US dubbed “Keeping Families Together” on 30 June. Cities that saw such marches included Miami, Washington, New York, Los Angeles and El Paso among others. The protests did not only gain backing from immigrant-friendly cities but also more conservative regions like Appalachia and Wyoming. Not only that, the protests also did not confine to cities within the US borders but also across the globe such as Mexico City, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto and as far as Munich in Germany.

Besides the protests on 30 June, some activists also converged at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) detention centers in order to pressure the federal administration to reverse its policy. Although there were no reports of serious violence, the latest round of protests is yet another sign that the mass mobilization of people will always be a part and parcel of the Trump presidency, as long as he continues his unorthodox and at times controversial approaches in governing the country.