Across the United States, people are coming together to protest Donald Trump and the zero-tolerance policy at the border. Immigrant advocacy groups plan to protest nationwide on June 30. Among the demonstrations will be one taking place across from the White House in Washington D.C.

It's no secret that the United States has been cracking down on immigration, and families trying to illegally immigrate to the United States will receive little to no kindness.

Zero-tolerance border policies

The Trump administration has enacted its zero-tolerance policy for families seeking asylum by coming across the US-Mexico border, as children are taken away from their parents.

Between April 19 and May 31, almost "2,000 children were separated from 1,940 adults," King 5 News reported. These numbers come from the administration, and surely those numbers have increased in the weeks since then.

These policies are, of course, targeting Mexican immigrants who have been deemed as illegal. The asylum seekers were caught at the border and separated from their families shortly after. Once taken from their parents, children are being placed in detention camps of sorts.

Vox News cited a Washington Post report, where Juan Sanchez, the CEO of Southwest Key, a nonprofit that runs the Brownsville site under government contract, said, "We’re not a detention center. … What we operate are shelters that take care of kids.

It’s a big, big difference.”

Nevertheless, any kids behind wire is generally seen as being bad.

The protests

Pramilla Jayapal, a Democrat representative in Washington, announced the demonstrations.

In a tweet, she wrote, “We are ready to have a mass mobilization. This has to be taken right to the White House and to @realDonaldTrump's doorstep.”

The rallies are called “Families Belong Together,” and they particularly take aim at the Trump administration’s tearing families apart. Scheduled for June 30, there will also be a tentpole rally at Lafayette Park, a location very near to the White House.

This rally will begin at 11:00 AM EST, ensuring people will take notice.

These protests are not new but have started gaining traction since Father’s Day.

Others speak out

Rep. Jayapal isn’t the only Washington leader speaking out against the zero-tolerance policy. In a letter to US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary Kirstjen Nielson, signed by Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the two call on the Trump administration to tell the truth, demanding honest answers about the separated families.

They specifically want answers regarding the 200 immigrants detained in the Sea-Tac detention center. As the human trafficking of immigrants becomes a more prominent issue, answers to this situation are necessary.

Representative Suzan DelBene, WA-01, is another Washington politician making her opinion known. She is a co-sponsor of the Keep Families Together Act, an initiative that would make sure children are not taken from their families unless they are victims of abuse or trafficking.

Additionally, DelBene held a press conference in which she gave asylum seekers the chance to tell their own stories. This opportunity helps Americans put a face and personal history to asylum seekers, humanizing them in the process.
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