Chants of "No ban, no registry, fuck white supremacy" echoed throughout John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
In the 48 hours since Trump announced an executive order prohibiting immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S for the next 90 days—and temporarily suspending the admission of refugees from those countries for 120 days—demonstrators have assembled outside of at least eight major airports throughout the country in protest, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Amid public outcry, federal judges pushed back against Trump's executive order on Saturday evening, granting a temporary stay and preventing the deportation of those holding valid visas and approved refugee applications. In response, Homeland Security issued a statement Sunday morning that officials would "comply with the judicial order but continue to enforce Trump's ban."
In the hours following the Homeland Security statement, and with more heart-wrenching reports of detainees flooding social media, JFK airport was again flooded by protesters, many saying they refused to leave until the seven families estimated to remain inside were released.
We spoke to demonstrators who converged at Terminal 4 on Sunday afternoon about what compelled them to join the protest and their initial reactions to learning about Trump's controversial edict.
