Large Protest Takes Place In Downtown Miami Over Immigration
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – More than a 100 people protested in Downtown Miami, calling for DACA and TPS recipients be allowed to stay in the United States.
They gathered at Miami-Dade County Hall and marched to Southwest 5th Street and Brickell Avenue.
The group marched, at times, in the middle of the street, blocking traffic at the height of rush hour.
This comes as negotiations for an immigration deal are stalled in Congress and could also lead to a government shutdown.
The government's funding expires at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Democrats are demanding that any spending bill include protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.
President Trump rescinded DACA in September and gave Congress six months to turn the protections into law.
He also ending the TPS program for people from Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Miami residents turned out to let their voices heard.
"This country has been built on backs of immigrants and the way that they are treated, DACA recipients and TPS recipients and dividing family, is a crime," said Imara Rojes.
Elena Munious said we were all immigrants at one point and everyone should have the same opportunity.
Approximately 800,000 young immigrants were brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers.
Firmate Peters and her family is one of them.
"We contribute to this country, we pay taxes, we have children [in this] country and some of us are here for 20-30 years," she said.
Haitian immigration activist Marleine Bastien called out the president, saying his decision was not based on facts.
"We fear that the president, based on the comments he made recently, that his decision was based on racism and discrimination and bigotry and not the facts on the ground," Bastien said.
Haitian Women of Miami are planning to be out protesting again on Thursday at 11 a.m.