Families Belong Together refers both to an advocacy campaign devoted to reuniting immigrant families that were separated at the US-Mexico border by a Trump administration policy introduced in spring 2018, and also specifically to a series of protests on June 30, 2018 in Washington, D.C., New York City, and 700 other cities and towns in the United States. Very large crowds turned out to those events despite heat waves in many areas, including in Washington, D.C.[1][2][3][4]
The "zero tolerance" policy[5] introduced by the Trump Administration in spring 2018 was the immediate catalyst for the Families Belong Together mass mobilization in June 2018, as media outlets began reporting on children being held in cages and in detention facilities after having been separated from their parents or guardians after crossing the border. The news organization Pro Publica released widely-circulated audio of one group of children crying.[6] As public shock and outrage grew, a small group of women activists, advocates, and public officials[7] began conferring to organize a public response, including Anna Galland, then Executive Director at MoveOn Civic Action; Jessica Morales Rocketto, then Political Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance; Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D. Wash.); and Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. That group's organizing led to a call for peaceful protests on Saturday, June 30, 2018, and hundreds of thousands of people turned out for those events.[7]
Participants
Many of those protesting in June 2018 had participated in previous anti-Trump protests and actions, while others were new to immigration activism, with parents who felt called into action based on the reported stories of separations.[8] Protesters at the events in June 2018 participated in both major cities and also more rural regions like Appalachia and Wyoming. Protests were also held internationally.[4] Some protesters compared the detainment of children by the U.S. government to the Nazi concentration camps.[9][10]
Support from celebrities and other public figures
A number of prominent public figures spoke out around the time of the June 2018 protests to criticize the Trump Administration's policy. Former First Lady Laura Bush issued a statement saying the policy "broke her heart."[11]
Celebrities who appeared at protests around the country included:
At some of the locations there were counter protesters, resulting in at least one arrest. A counter-protester was arrested at Huntsville, Alabama after displaying a gun, and reportedly stating "I will shoot everyone here."[18] In Phoenix, Arizona, about 25 counter-protesters from patriot movement proclaimed their opposition to the protests using signs and a megaphone, and engaging others at the protests near Arizona State Capitol, while the event remained mostly peaceful.[19]
During this rally, most of the country was entering the first day of the first major summer heat wave of 2018, with temperatures ranging between high 90s and triple digits for various cities. Rally organizers cautioned people to use plenty of sunscreen and drink water; a few hundred yards away from the stage in Lafayette Square, a fire truck sprayed its hose in the air to cool off the crowd.[21]
Arizona State Capitol; US Rep. Ruben Gallego spoke at the rally.[41] 30 minutes after the large rally ended, 25 members of Patriot Movement AZ staged a small counter-protest.[19]
The rally took place at the intersection of Brunswick Road and Sutton Way in the Glenbrook Basin; a contingent of counterprotesters eventually appeared opposite the rally, with signs reading "Build the Wall" and "Deport Families Together."[88]
Dolores Park - San Francisco City Hall.[131] Drivers stepped out of their cars on Octavia Street to watch (and cheer) more than 1,000 protesters pass by on Market Street[17]
Demoret Park (corner of Main Street and Townsend Ave) was the site of two rallies in June 2018. The first one, known as the "Every Corner Rally," happened on Friday, June 22, with 35 people; the second took place on June 30.[173]
Bonner County Courthouse on First Avenue;[244] protesters gathers on both sides of the road, greeting passing motorists who honked back their support.[250]
More than 100 people met outside of Rep. Rod Blum's office and marched down West Fifth Street to Franklin Street and up West First Street to Main Street back to Blum's office.[286]
(Saturday, June 23) Hundreds gathered at Fayette County Courthouse plaza;[306][307] the event was organized by Kentucky National Organization for Women.[308] By this time, one week ahead of June 30, similar events had already taken place across the county, including one protest outside the Lexington office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a few days earlier.[309]
Out of hundreds that protested at the rally, roughly 200 splintered off and marched a half-mile from Metro Hall to the ICE offices on 7th Street, and criticized Democratic Mayor Greg Fischer for not declaring Louisville a sanctuary city.[310]
Despite withering 100+ degree heat, hundreds gathered at Congo Square in Armstrong Park and marched through the French Quarter to Jackson Square.[318][324]
(Sunday, July 1) Protesters marched to the Worcester County Detention Center for an "End Immigrant Detention" rally. Five counter-protesters stood across the street.[345]
City Hall Plaza - Boston Common. Speakers included US Rep. Joe Kennedy III and US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Police Commissioner William B. Evans estimated about 5,000 demonstrators participated, even though organizers said the crowd exceeded 15,000[351]
Two FBG rallies happened outside the Calhoun County Justice Center within the latter part of June. The first one, on June 20, attracted over 200 people;[399] the second one, on June 30, had over 130.[400]
200-250 people gathered at Spirit of Detroit Plaza, where rally speakers included US Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) and Democratic congressional candidate Fayrouz Saad;[404] afterwards, people marched around the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and arrived at Philip A. Hart Plaza.[405] Meanwhile, between 1,200 and 1,500 more people gathered at Clark Park.[406]
Two Saturday rallies took place outside the ICE detention facility (St. Clair County Jail)[426] on June 23 & 30;[427] the second one had over 100 people.
Two immigration rallies occurred in Missoula: on June 20, more than 400 people gathered outside Missoula County jail;[467] on June 30, a few hundred people marched from Caras Park to Missoula County Courthouse,[468] where marchers signed a petition urging GOP Sen. Steve Daines to push the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to demand immediate family reunification.[469]
Two rallies happened at Rutherford Congregational Church, on June 14[511] (50 people gathered, then marched to the Rutherford train station) and June 30[496]
Foley Square - Brooklyn Bridge - ICE headquarters.[550] US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, both considered contenders for the 2020 presidential election, were among the first political leaders to call for ICE to be abolished.[551] Political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who had just upset incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in the 2018 Democratic primary, spoke at a rally of 500 in Queens, demanding likewise.[552][17]
Martin Luther King Monument, at the corner of Long Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Way. NC State senatorial candidate Altriese Price spoke at the rally.[573]
Central Square, Federal Plaza. One particular recent ICE raid on the minds of protesters took place in nearby Salem, where over 100 suspected undocumented immigrants had been arrested.[610][611]
North Park Blocks.[633] US Sen Ron Wyden spoke at the rally.[634] The crowd of thousands was mostly peaceful; meanwhile, two opposing protest groups, Patriot Prayer and Antifa (each numbering more than 100 members), clashed in downtown Portland, leading police to revoke Patriot Prayer's permit for rallying.[632]
Susquehanna River. The rally was initially to be held on the Capitol steps, but was moved after organizers learned of a counter-protest at the same location (which drew fewer than a dozen people).[644][645]
A large crowd stood outside the Chester County Courthouse; Mayor Dianne Herrin spoke at the rally. Three counter-protesters with signs stood across the street.[662]
On Friday, June 22, over 100 people met at Chattanooga Public Library[678] to make signs, then marched to Miller Plaza for a vigil;[679] later in the evening, a group of protesters held neon blue letters spelling out "ABOLISH ICE."[680] On June 30, another rally was held at Renaissance Park/Coolidge Park.[227][681]
Denton County Courthouse on The Square; the event featured eight speakers including educators, faith leaders and representatives from the Democratic Party. The Stonewall Democrats, Indivisible Denton, voter registration groups and the Opening Doors International Services tabled at the event.[704]
Edgemere Park - ICE's El Paso Processing Center. Protesters shut down part of the international bridge for about an hour, reducing all traffic to one lane at the exit while smaller group from both countries blocked half the bridge at the border, their message heard in two countries.[705]
San Fernando Cathedral / Main Plaza. Earlier in the day, a smaller group of about 50 people held a rally on the other side of the issue ("America First" event) in Travis Park.[720]
The Kingstowne Communion (United Methodist church) held an Alexandria Vigil for Immigrant Families at 8pm, with white candles and prayer booklets, at Kingstowne Towne Center.[739]
Roanoke Public Library; event hosted by Roanoke Indivisible. Activities included an indoor panel, several outside lie-in protest periods (100 mylar blankets provided) and a children's parade with Statue of Liberty crowns.[753][754]
Nearly 40 people gathered at one rally at Gypsy Hill Park, then marched to Augusta County Courthouse to merge with a second rally (more than 30 people).[756]
Laramie held its second ever PrideFest, the central part being the Pride March, on Front Street. In addition to LGBTQ issues, the March and its speakers devoted much of their time addressing what 700+ cities across the nation were rallying against.[811]
The Internet Research Agency, also known as Glavset, and known in Russian Internet slang as the Trolls from Olgino or Kremlinbots, was a Russian company which was engaged in online propaganda and influence operations on behalf of Russian business and political interests. It was linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Russian oligarch who was leader of the Wagner Group, and based in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The We Belong Together Campaign is anchored by the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and other groups throughout the United States. We Belong Together is an initiative that is in the United States, that spreads awareness of immigration laws that impact women and immigration reform. It was formed in 2010 to address issues concerning the female immigrant population in the United States. The campaign offers a gender-basedanalysis and focuses on maintaining nuclear families.
Protests against Donald Trump have occurred in the United States and internationally since his entry into the 2016 presidential campaign. Protests have expressed opposition to Trump's campaign rhetoric, his electoral win, his first inauguration, his alleged history of sexual misconduct and various presidential actions, most notably his travel ban in 2017 and aggressive family separation policy in 2018. Some protests have taken the form of walk-outs, business closures, and petitions as well as rallies, demonstrations, and marches. While most protests have been peaceful, actionable conduct such as vandalism and assaults on Trump supporters has occurred. Some protesters have been criminally charged with rioting. The largest organized protest against Trump was the day after his inauguration; millions protested on January 21, 2017, during the Women's March, with each individual city's protest taken into consideration, makes it the largest single-day protest in the history of the United States.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and current president-elect of the United States, has a history of speech and actions that have been viewed by scholars and the public as racist or sympathetic to White supremacy. Journalists, friends, family, and former employees have accused him of fueling racism in the United States. Trump has repeatedly denied accusations of racism. Conservative commentators point to the time he stated "whether you are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots" as an example of him not being a racist.
Numerous protests have taken place in opposition to Donald Trump, a politician, media personality, and businessman who was the president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and has been the president-elect since 2024.
Immigration policy, including illegal immigration to the United States, was a signature issue of former U.S. president Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and his proposed reforms and remarks about this issue generated much publicity. Trump has repeatedly said that illegal immigrants are criminals.
Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, allegedly labeled the "Muslim ban" by Donald Trump and his supporters and critics alike, and commonly known as such, or commonly referred to as the Muslim travel ban, Trump travel ban, the Trump Muslim travel ban, or the Trump Muslim Immigration Ban, was an executive order by President Trump. Except for the extent to which it was blocked by various courts, it was in effect from January 27, 2017, until March 6, 2017, when it was superseded by Executive Order 13780, a second order sharing the title "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States".
In late January and early February 2017, during protests against Executive Order 13769, commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban,” thousands of people gathered at various airports in the United States and around the world to protest the attempt by the Trump administration to prevent the prohibition refugees and visitors from seven countries considered by the administration to be unsafe. According to various sources, more than two thousand people were at the protest at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York City with other protests appearing at significant international airports and other important sites around the United States. Protests continued daily and internationally through February 6. Protests also continued after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against parts of the travel ban.
Thomas Douglas Homan is an American former police officer and government official who served during the first Trump Administration as acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from January 30, 2017, to June 29, 2018. Within the Trump administration, he was among the most strident proponents of separating children from their parents as a means of deterring illegal entry into the country. Since his retirement from government, he has been a Fox News contributor.
Many organizations reacted to the enactment of Executive Order 13769, titled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," which was an executive order issued by United States President Donald Trump. Domestically, the order was criticized by Democratic and Republican members of Congress, universities, business leaders, major corporations, Catholic bishops, and Jewish organizations. Some 1,000 U.S. diplomats signed a dissent cable opposing the order, setting a record. Public opinion was divided, with initial national polls yielding inconsistent results. Protests against the order erupted in airports and cities.
The family separation policy under the first Trump administration was a controversial immigration enforcement strategy implemented in the United States from 2017 to 2018, aimed at deterring illegal immigration by separating migrant children from their parents or guardians. The policy, presented to the public as a "zero tolerance" approach, was intended to encourage tougher legislation and discourage unauthorized crossings. In some cases, families following the legal procedure to apply for asylum at official border crossings were also separated. Under the policy, federal authorities separated children and infants from parents or guardians with whom they had entered the US. The adults were prosecuted and held in federal jails or deported, and the children were placed under the supervision of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Prior to their transfer to HHS, some children spent three weeks or more in overcrowded border control centers, where they reported minimal food, no access to clean clothes or bathing facilities, and no adult caretakers; girls as young as ten were taking care of younger children.
Protests against the Trump administration family separation policy are a reaction to the Trump administration policy of separating children from their parents or guardians who crossed the U.S. border either illegally or to request asylum, jailing the adults and locating the minors at separate facilities under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Occupy ICE is a series of protests, modeled on the Occupy Movement, that emerged in the United States in reaction to the Trump administration family separation policy, with a goal of disrupting operations at several U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) locations.
Women Disobey was a protest in Washington, D.C., on June 28, 2018. The protests against the Trump administration family separation policy were organized by Women's March. They took place in the streets around the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building and inside the Hart Senate Office Building. Following acts of mass civil disobedience, 575 people were arrested.
Abolish ICE is a political movement that seeks the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The movement gained mainstream traction in June 2018 following controversy of the Trump administration family separation policy. The movement proposes that ICE's responsibilities be subsumed by other existing immigration agencies, as was the case before its creation. Discussions are particularly focused on the enforcement wing of ICE.
Ana María Archila is an American attorney and activist serving as co-director of the New York Working Families Party. She previously ran for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 2022. She was formerly the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and a co-founder and co-executive director of Make the Road New York and Make the Road Action.
The Trump administration has detained migrants attempting to enter the United States at the United States–Mexico border. Government reports from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General in May 2019 and July 2019 found that migrants had been detained under conditions that failed federal standards. These conditions have included prolonged detention, overcrowding, and poor hygiene and food standards.
Alice Butler-Short was the founder of Virginia Women for Trump, an American advocacy group supportive of former American president Donald Trump.
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