Thousands Descend on Battery Park for 2nd Straight Day of Travel Ban Protests
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Thousands of people marched in lower Manhattan on Sunday to protest President Trump’s executive order that temporarily bans people from seven countries. Wale Aliyu reports.
What to Know
Thousands of people marched from the Statue of Liberty Viewpoint to the Customs and Border Patrol offices in lower Manhattan
New York Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer addressed the crowd.
President Trump denied Sunday that his order was a "Muslim ban" and pledged "to show compassion to those fleeing oppression."
Thousands of people gathered Sunday in lower Manhattan, within sight of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, to denounce the immigration ban enacted by President Donald Trump.
Picket signs with slogans including "America was built by refugees," and "Muslim ban is un-American" bobbed through the crowd. Demonstrators, bundled up in coats, hats and scarves, marched from the Statue of Liberty Viewpoint to the Customs and Border Patrol offices near Broadway and Worth Street in the Financial District.
For the second night, demonstrators clogged airports nationwide, including JFK, where several passengers remain detained. Ida Siegal reports
"For President Trump to slam the door, to say no, that means we have to fight, we have to stand strong," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told the crowd. "We must not give in, we must never forget! Fight for what you believe in. Never stop fighting!"
Trump denied Sunday that his order was a "Muslim ban" and pledged "to show compassion to those fleeing oppression."
Trump's order places a 90-day travel restriction on immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen attempting to gain entry into the country. In addition, the decree indefinitely bans Syrian refugees from entering the U.S.
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Protesters at Battery Park on Sunday.
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Protesters hold signs at Battery Park on Sunday.
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A crowd gathers at Battery Park.
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Seeing something, saying something, and a selfie.
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A sign and a knit cap for a winter protest.
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The subway station at Battery Park was packed on Sunday as people gathered to protest.
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Getting signs ready at the subway station.
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Holding a handmade sign at the Battery Park protest.
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Demonstrators deliver their messages through signs.
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Getting signs ready for the demonstration.
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Clapping at a demonstration for immigrants in Bryant Park.
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Protesters hold signs in Battery Park.
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A kind message from this protester.
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Protesters hold signs at Battery Park.
A child rests during the long protest.
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A wall of protesters at Battery Park on Sunday.
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Thousands of immigration activists and demonstrators staged a protest at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 4 within hours of hearing news about Muslim detainees being held in custody by Customs and Border Partrol officials.
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A demonstrator holds a sign in support of refugees at JFK Airport Saturday. President Trump signed the controversial executive order that halted refugees and residents from predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days Friday.
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A Muslim woman prays as protesters gather at Terminal 4 to demonstrate against President Donald Trump's executive order.
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A demonstrator completes a makeshift sign challenging the immigrant travel ban enacted by President Trump and his administration Friday.
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Immigration activists hold up signs demanding immigrants be allowed to enter the country alongside the entry road to JFK's Terminal 4.
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A demonstrator continues to chant as an NYPD officer apprehends him.
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Nydia Velazquez speaks to a crowd as protesters gathered outside JFK airport Terminal 4. She was joined by U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, both of who helped to negotiate the release of an Iraqi man detained at the airport. PHOTOGRAPH BY Joel Sheakoski / Barcroft Images London-T:+44 207 033 1031 E:hello@barcroftmedia.com - New York-T:+1 212 796 2458 E:hello@barcroftusa.com - New Delhi-T:+91 11 4053 2429 E:hello@barcroftindia.com www.barcroftimages.com (Photo credit should read Joel Sheakoski / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
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A man carrying two boxes of pizza curiously looks on as he makes his way through a crowd of chanting activists.
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Demonstrators stand in a parking garage holding an upside down American flag. Though Friday's executive order bans entry to people from seven Middle East nations, President Trump said it is "not a Muslim ban".
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An activist brandishes a sign calling for the release of detainees at JFK Airport during the rally.
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Police take security measures with a mesh net during the demonstration against President Trump's indefinite ban of entry against Syrian refugees and 90-day ban against immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries.
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A woman speaks into a megaphone as others hold signs during the protest. Despite their status as legal residents, visa-holders from banned countries were also barred from U.S. entry and detained at airports nationwide.
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NYPD officers intervened and arrested several demonstrators throughout the protest.
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New York Police officers stand guard as demonstrators gather outside and in the garages of JFK Airport.
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By nightfall, thousands of demonstrators gathered at the airport to protest President Trump's travel ban.
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A group of men hold up signs in solidarity with immigrants at JFK.
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A participant tries to snap a photo of the sea of demonstrators below on her cellphone.
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Demonstrators even climbed street signs and traffic posts to hold up signs and ensure their message was heard.
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A demonstrator watched the rally from the darkness of an elevated garage.
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This demonstrator decided to multitask and snack while participating in the rally.
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Signs about equality and immigrant rights were seen for miles at JFK Airport Saturday.
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The colorful signs of demonstrators were reflected on the Terminal's glass walls.
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A pair of demonstrators asked onlookers to remember what America stands for while standing on the sidelines.
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A woman holds a sign that reassures immigrants that they are welcome in the U.S., despite what President Trump and his administration say.
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Inspired by Prince, one demonstrator quotes lines from the late musician's "1999" song.
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A woman participating in the protest leans over the ledge of an elevated garage at the demonstrators below.
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Signs bearing phrases of positivity and support were aplenty at the day-long demonstration that carried into the evening.
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A sign bearing the often-used phrase "Love Trumps Hate" could be seen in the sea of demonstrators at the Saturday night rally.
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Police officers cautiously watch on as rally participants brandished signs until after 10 p.m.
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One demonstrator recalls New York City's sanctuary status to anyone whose eye caught their sign.
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Tons of handmade signs bobbed throughout the crowd of thousands.
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JFK's AirTrain service experienced delays after thousands of protesters crowded underneath the rail.
The crowd chanted: "Aqui estamos, y no nos vamos, y si nos echan, nos regresamos!" which in English translates to "We are here, and we're not leaving, and if you throw us out, we'll come back!"
The chant was followed by a roar of applause and cheers as Sen. Charles Schumer took the podium holding a red sign that said "New Yorkers for Justice!" above his head. He smiled as he shook the sign before leading a chorus.
Sen. Charles Schumer denounced President Donald Trump’s executive orders, calling them “bad for national security” and decrying them as anti-American during an immigrant march at Battery Park Sunday.
"The people united, will never be defeated!" he chanted before thanking demonstrators for their presence. "We are gonna win this fight everybody!"
Crowds were so large that straphangers were unable to get out of the Whitehall-South Ferry subway station hours before the march began.
Police said that five people were arrested in Manhattan — four people for disorderly conduct and one person for some sort of fake identification.
People also protested for a second day at JFK Airport's Terminal 4. The airport warned travelers to plan extra time due to crowds.
At least a dozen people, including an Iraqi man who worked for the U.S. government as a translator for a decade, were detained by Customs and Border Patrol officials at JFK.
International Arrivals Hall is at capacity. @PhillyPolice Airport unit directing demonstrators to A bag claim.
Six people remained detained there Sunday evening, U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley said. He said all were expected to be released Sunday night.
Demonstrators also flooded the Philadelphia International Airport in protest Sunday afternoon. The international arrivals hall was so crowded with demonstrators that employees had to redirect them to baggage claim, officials tweeted from the airport's account.
Two Syrian families who had arrived from Doha, Qatar Saturday were questioned by CBP officials at Philadelphia International Airport before they were immediately sent on a return flight home.
Rep. Nydia Velazquez condemns the detainment of two heavily vetted Iraqi refugees at JFK airport, calling the action “an affront to American values.”
Permanent residency "green card" holders trying to get back into the U.S. were also detained at airports nationwide, despite White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus telling Chuck Todd the executive order "doesn't affect" green card holders on "Meet The Press" Sunday morning.
Seven detainees are still being processed at Terminal 4, and a legal permanent resident who is believed to be an Iranian national is in custody at Terminal 7, Jeffries said. He said he believes all detainees will be released.
