Thousands at Philly airport call Trump's order 'un-American'

Shouts and cries rang through Philadelphia International Airport's concrete arrival terminal Sunday as thousands of marchers, Delawareans included, said yes to refugees and immigrants and no to President Donald Trump's directive.

Miles away in Delaware, Muslim children raised their voices in support of those looking to come to America following Trump's executive order banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

"We keep telling them, you are Muslim-Americans, you have rights," said Iram Shaukat, whose three children participated in the protest. "America runs on a democracy. We came through a system, and we have enjoyed life here for several years now. It's nothing to be fearful about. It's actually a blessing ... because now we must be vocal."

The rallies filled airports and parks throughout the country again Sunday as thousands raised their voices against the order.

"Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here" rang through the terminal. "This is what Democracy looks like" quickly followed. And "We will not go away, welcome to your every day" coursed louder with every verse.

The mantras repeated, developing a cadence and rhythm backed by drums, cowbells, and homemade noisemakers, as men, women, and children of all races and backgrounds jammed the airport terminal.

Travelers coming into the United States from those countries Saturday night were detained at the airport but were expected to be released Sunday after Federal Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn granted an emergency stay sought by immigrants’ rights lawyers. On Sunday, locals again flocked to the airport in support of those detained Saturday night.

"His decision plays right into the hands of ISIS," said Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, who traveled to Philadelphia with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester Sunday.

The two walked through the packed crowd, stopping for pictures along the way. Carper felt strongly against Trump's order and said that is what drew him to the protest, calling the decision "un-American, unlawful, uninformed and unsafe."

For Blunt Rochester, the rallies brought back memories of drug marches and Meals on Wheels efforts she participated in, sometimes taking her children along. Hundreds of kids sat on their parents shoulders Sunday or slept in baby slings on their parents' chests during the rally. The move to inform children at a young age will help build their character and strengthen them, Blunt Rochester said.

"I can't think of one person who doesn't have the common concern of safety and security for our country," she said. But Trump's order took those efforts too far.

"It's about who we are as a people," she said. "This just isn't right."

The decision has also affected soon-to-be Delawareans – specifically a Syrian couple with an 8-month-old child who planned to relocate to Delaware with the help of Jewish Family Services, the Islamic Society of Delaware and Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church. Shaukat said they recently found out Trump's order will prevent the family from coming to Delaware.

It has also brought concerns for those with relatives and family in foreign countries, especially in the Islamic community.

"It's raised the questions, can we go back and visit back home?" Shaukat said. "Should we call people back (to the U.S.) before he adds more countries to the list? It's created a lot of uncertainty."

That same uncertainty is what drew some Delawareans to the Philadelphia International Airport late Saturday night, as well, when family members, children, and others were detained due to the order. Nancy Josephson, of Wilmington, felt compelled to show up, not only for strength in numbers but for the message it conveyed.

"I think there's just this undercurrent of 'oh no, no no, we're not doing this," she said. "The executive order was such a slap to what we are as a country. So I thought, you know, we've got to show up."

After witnessing the Civil Rights' marches in the 1960s, Josephson said there's a sense that she and her generation lost sight of what was important and didn't do enough, she said.

"I was off the prize. I got tired, I got, I don't know – I let the ball drop," Josephson said. "And I think a lot of people feel that way. The good side of Trump? We got freakin' woke and that wouldn't have happened with Hillary (Clinton)."

READ MORE: Trump edict to block Syrian refugee entry to Delaware

Her pride also ran deep for those representing Delaware in Congress, especially when that representation came in the form of protest against Trump's efforts to thwart immigration.

"I am so proud of being from here and having them as my representatives,"' Josephson added. "Being from a really little state, these guys and Lisa (Blunt Rochester) are killing it for us. For me, for the American value, for civics. For what we stand for – and for what we won't stand for."

Delaware officials joined Pennsylvania leaders and representatives from various city advocacy groups, as well as local students, community members and those wishing to have their voices heard. More than 4,500 people were "attending" the airport protest, according to the Facebook event, but event organizers said the turnout was much larger than Saturday night's gathering and much larger than expected.

Last week, thousands rallied in Philadelphia to protest Trump and the GOP retreat in the city, again crying out against Trump's plans for the country.

Three Philadelphia women, all middle school friends who grew up in Bucks County, walked together down the barricaded roadway Sunday, where loved ones typically greet those arriving from international flights. Rachel Share, Laura Gower, and Robyn Ettinger carried large handmade signs with messages against Trump's ban, not wanting to miss their part in American history.

"My mom and I were talking this morning, and we always used to wonder, what would you do if you had been around for the Holocaust or the Civil Rights (movement)?" Gower said. "What would you have done? We didn't want to be the people that sat on the couches. We wanted to be the people taking action. So here we are."

Share saw the outpouring of support from her cab driver who got her and her boyfriend to Jefferson Station, where they planned to use public transportation to get to the airport. When their cab driver asked where they were going and they told him their plans to protest, he immediately turned off the meter.

He even told Share that he was going to go home, get his family, and join them at the protest.

"I just felt like we had to make our voices heard," she said.

Others, like Rachel Simon, of Wilmington, felt they had to be there to support others directly affected by this executive decision. Trump's presidency, she said, has taken many of her friends to a very dark, depressed place.

Jan Rudzinski, who works as a therapist in Delaware and operates three offices throughout the state, sees similar responses in her clients. Many are reporting increased anxiety following the election.

Both women, though they did not travel together, felt like being a part of the protest was important Sunday.

Simon, who is a writer and regularly does public speaking, travels a lot for her job. She even knows some of the people who work at the Philadelphia airport, which prompted her to witness the rally firsthand.

"In a way, (the airport is) like my home and it's my home that's being deeply affected by this sudden, abrupt change in policy," she said. "I just felt kind of for every reason, I should be there."

Rudzinski and her husband felt similarly, though she admitted that after attending the Women's March in Washington, D.C. last weekend, she craved the support and passion of those fighting for the same cause.

"There is such an energy and anger that I have to do something about it," Rudzinski said. "It's so cathartic to be around people who just realize the fascism that Trump is bringing to the table."

The new president's decisions have made a strong impact on the country, she stressed, and they aren't decisions the citizens of this country can ignore.

"It's not American," she said. "It's unacceptable."

Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.