Local leaders are calling on people of mid-Michigan to stand up for the children that have been separated from their parents at the Mexican border under the trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy. FOX 47's Marcus Dash was there.
Organizer of the event pastor Melvin T. Jones of the Union Missionary Baptist Church tells me, the only way they can change what's going on the border is by speaking up and speaking out.
"Our voices need to blend in with voices around this country, if in fact, we are going to change national policy, we can't be silent," said Pastor Melvin T. Jones.
Echoing Pastor Jones' comments was Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.
He said it's wrong and it is common sense, you don't take away kids from their parents.
"We would condemn other countries for doing this and yet here we are separating kids from their parents," said Mayor Andy Schor.
Although everyone agreed that President Trump's executive order ending the separation of families from their kids was a step in the right direction. Lansing's ACLU chapter said there are so many factors involved.
"You can sign the executive order, but what is the timetable? What is the process going to look like to return those 2,000 kids to their parents?"
There are over 2,000 children that have been separated from their parents, local Latino activist Lorenzo Lopez says there needs to be more clarity on the status of those children.
"I want to know in specific language, step by step of how they are going to reunify those 2,000 children with their parents, that is the issue of the day," said Lorenzo Lopez.
Mayor Schor says this isn't a republican or democrat issue. It's a right and wrong issue.
He's encouraging people to call their local representatives to get these children back to their families.
Today lawmakers on Capitol Hill voted down on a bill that would not have provided a path to citizenship for children brought to the US illegally. They plan on voting on a compromise bill tomorrow.
