From San Antonio's Main Plaza to all around the country, protesters on Sunday hit the streets to speak out against President Trump's executive order excluding refugees from seven Middle Eastern and North African countries from the U.S., News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
At Main Plaza, which has become the rallying point for anti-Trump protests since before Inauguration Day, some 300 people gathered for a rally in support of refugees, organized by San Antonio Students Speak Out.
The protesters denounced both the refugee order and the President's Executive Order calling for construction of a border wall. "Our generation will fight to make sure America is a country for all people," activist Rick Trevino said.
"I stand with my Muslim brothers and sisters in solidarity."
Several members of City Council and other activists showed their opposition to the President's order.
“The Executive Branch continues to enact discriminatory policies under the guise of national security, leaving many immigrants and refugees on the outside looking in," downtown Councilman Roberto Trevino said.
"Given the makeup of our city and our proximity to Mexico, many San Antonians have family and friends who are directly impacted by the new immigration policy. These hateful policies have empowered citizens to peacefully assemble and protest to demonstrate that our country will not stand for bigotry and ignorance.
"The Airport said it was not stifling protest, it was just following city police requiring a two day lead in obtaining permits.
"The policy for permit requests is two days prior to the event. We respect the public's right to have demonstrations and have this process to allow for those events," airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope said.
"All demonstrations must remain peaceful and not disrupt the safety of passengers and guests.
"Meanwhile, people who work with refugees are openly concerned about the impact of the President's order, even though the White House stressed that it does call for the deportation of any refugees currently in the U.S., and the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Sunday night that it also does not affect people from the seven countries involved who hold 'Green Cards' giving them legal residency in the U.S.
Anne Marie Weiss-Armush, who heads the refugee resettlement group 'DFW International, told News Radio 1200 WOAI's Michael Board the big concern is that places like Syria and 'unlivable' and people who thought they had successfully left that country are now concerned that the next step will be orders deporting them.
"Trepidation, fear," she said, describing the attitude of Texans who came from Syria.
"Mortified. Shocked." She says many Texans are struggling to get their desperate relatives out of Syria, and also see that opportunity slipping away. "Thirty years of successful refugee policy which we worked so hard to develop, is now frozen or gone," she said.
IMAGE; GETTY