Immigration Rally In Boston: Thousands Protest Trump's Executive Order

BOSTON, MA — Thousands of protesters gathered in Boston's Copley Square a day after two federal judges in Boston joined others in temporarily blocking part of President Donald Trump's executive order.

The temporary restraining order came at 2 a.m. after hundreds of protesters rallied for hours in Logan Airport for the release of several detained immigrants. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on Saturday on behalf of green card holders Mazdak Pourabdollah Tootkaboni and Arghavan Louhghalam, both of whom are associate professors at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Both men are originally from Iran. Trump's order blocks immigrants from Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya and Sudan from entering the United States.

Immigrants and refugees with valid immigrant visas, along with those with non-immigrant visas and permanent residents, cannot be deported by federal immigration officers for the next seven days, according to the order.

You can read the decision and order here.

Today's rally drew more than 15,000 participants, according to Police Commissioner Bill Evans. Others on social media posted photos from nearby skyscrapers.

Protests are taking part across the country today opposing Trump's order, mirroring last week when an estimated 175,000 in Boston and hundreds of thousands more across America took part in a women's march.

• 'A Moral Obligation': Immigrant Turmoil Prompts More Protests Around NYC, Elsewhere
• 'No Hate, No Fear, Refugees are Welcome Here': Massive Protest at White House Over Trump's Executive Order on Immigrants, Refugees

Patch was at the rally in Copley Square and provided live updates throughout the day:

3:40 p.m. - Irene Islam (second from left) is in town visiting her family in Sharon. The entire family drove into Boston today to take part in today's protest. Islam pointed to prayer rugs laying by Trinity Church: "I never though I would see a group of Muslims praying in front a church!"

The Islam-Chowdhury family came to American from Bangladesh in 1981. They talked about the heavily Jewish town they live in and the inclusivity of their community. The entire family is Muslim. They have concerns over extended family in Bangladesh who are in the process of immigrating to the U.S. Some of them have gone through a six-year vetting process for visas.

Mom Faizun Islam had brought the entire family to Copley Square. Islam said, "We are all Muslims on different parts of our journey in our religion. It was important to come together."

3:04 p.m. - Bushra Hamid (left), is a Syrian-American born and raised in the United States and a freshman at Harvard. She told Patch, "I'm here to represent our people and show Trump that we are not OK with the atrocities."

Her classmate Zainab Kahloon is a Pakistani-American born in Brooklyn. She said, "I have a lot of friends whose parents have either green cards or visas here, and they're not allowed to leave the country for fear of not being allowed to come back."

2:37 p.m. - Sarah Igaz, a 20-year-old computer science major at Simmons College, is an American citizen protesting on the steps by elected officials. She explained to Patch, "I'm out here today because I have friends and family who are undocumented and friends and family in the countries that are banned," adding that her parents recently moved to Saudi Arabia, which is not on the restricted list. She asked, "I'm born and raised in America. But do I still belong here?"

Credit: Sarah Betancourt for Patch

2:20 p.m.- The American Civil Liberties Union's Racial Justice Program director, Rahsaan D. Hall, spoke to the crowd about the order.

2:03 p.m. - Cambridge City Councilor Nadeem Mazen talks about how "he faced bigotry" when he ran for office. He called for protesters to take out their phones and follow nonprofits to increase organizing efforts.

1:47 P.M. - "This is a Muslim ban no matter what alternative facts President Trump tries to peddle." - Sen. Ed Markey.

1:44 p.m. - Activists are saying about 20,000 in attendance. That's an unconfirmed number.

1:42 p.m. - Copley Station has been closed since 11:30 a.m. Other MBTA stations in Boston are once again packed.

1:39 p.m. - Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaking to the crowd: "People will not stop until this executive order is tossed into the dust bin. We will not let Donald Trump chip away at the very heart of our democracy."

Credit: Sarah Betancourt for Patch

1:33 p.m. - Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, who criticized the ban Saturday night, said Boston stands with its Muslim population. "I want everyone to know, if you feel threatened, you are a beloved member of our community." Walsh said 28 percent of Boston is made up of immigrants, and that "we will protect you."

Child watches as Walsh speaks

1:27 p.m. - "A single Yemini mother is not a security threat," a female speaker said. "A biology student is not a threat. We are not security threats. This right here is the America we fight for."