Citing their “obligation” to ensure that Trump administration officials who are implementing the president’s cruel anti-immigrant agenda are not permitted to “work, eat, and sleep” in peace, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside of Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kirstjen Nielsen’s Virginia home early Friday morning and blared audio of crying immigrant children.
Protestors are outside of DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s Alexandria townhouse, playing audio of the detained children. She appears to be still be home. pic.twitter.com/akIcxOcM3q
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 22, 2018
“There’s a child snatcher living in Alexandria, Virginia,” said Heidi Hess, co-director of CREDO Action, an advocacy group that organized the protest. “Rightfully so, there’s a huge amount of attention focused on the border and the detention centers but the people who are making the decisions are here in D.C., so it’s important to shine a spotlight on them as well.”
“History will remember you! History will judge you! You belong in The Hague!”
Wielding signs calling for Nielsen’s resignation, the demonstrators led chants of “No justice, no sleep!” just steps away from the front door of the DHS secretary’s home.
After about an hour of speeches and chants, Nielsen finally attempted to sneak out the back exit of her townhouse—but protesters were waiting for her there as well, shouting “Shame!” as she climbed into a black SUV.
“History will remember you! History will judge you!” shouted one demonstrator. “You belong in The Hague!”
“Those of us who care about immigrant families have an obligation to make it impossible for Trump henchmen like Kirstjen Nielsen and [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions to comfortably work, eat, and sleep while they are terrorizing our friends, families, and communities,” Hess of CREDO Action said in a statement. “Nielsen, Sessions, and every other Trump collaborator responsible for the human rights abuses against immigrants should resign in disgrace.”
Friday’s early-morning demonstration came just days after Nielsen was driven out of a Mexican restaurant by democratic socialists who said they will refuse to allow Nielsen to show her face in public while tearing thousands of children from their parents.
“If kids don’t eat in peace, you don’t eat in peace!” the activists shouted as Nielson sat at a table waiting for her food. “How can you enjoy a Mexican dinner as you’re deporting and imprisoning tens of thousands of people who come here seeking asylum in the United States?”
Watch a full video of Friday’s protest:
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