Thousands protest immigration ban at Detroit Metro Airport

Protesters gather at Detroit airport

DETROIT – Thousands of metro Detroit residents gathered at the Detroit airport to protest President Donald Trump's executive order banning immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Some of those who gathered at Detroit Metropolitan Airport included a group organized by the Women's March on Washington-Michigan, which engineered a peaceful demonstration.

Airport officials said more than 2,000 people participated in five locations at the McNamara Terminal, adding that the Airport Authority Public Safety team ensured demonstrators' voices could be heard, but that operations could continue without interruption while everyone remained safe.

 

No arrests were made at the Detroit airport.

You can watch the protests (previously live) below.

Rod Meloni will have a full recap on Local 4 News at 11.

Protests break out across nation

The immigration plan has left several families wondering what to do now.

The protests broke out less than 24 hours after the executive order restricting access was signed by Trump.

A judge issued a nationwide stay late Saturday night, allowing people to be detained at airports across the country who landed with valid visas to temporarily remain in the United States.

"We jumped into court immediately overnight and requested this emergency stay to ensure individuals would not be returned back to their countries," a spokesperson said.

Trump's executive order banned Syrian refugees indefinitely. Immigration banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days went into effect overnight, leaving as many as 200 travelers stranded.

From New York to San Francisco, thousands gathered at airports to protest the action.

There was a protest of around 200 people in Dearborn:

Of those gathered at the airport was a peaceful protest 

Trump said the order is to prevent radical Islamic terrorists.

"It is not a Muslim ban, but we are currently prepared, it's working out very nicely," Trump said. "You see it at the airports, you see it all over. It's working out very nicely."

Trump is wrapping up a whirlwind first week in office that included 18 executive orders, 11 conversations with world leaders and his first formal visit.

As of Sunday, the Trump administration has not issued guidance to airports or airlines on how to implement the order.

An official from the Department of Homeland Security said that in less than 23 hours, 375 people have been impacted.

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About the Authors

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.

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