Ahead of No Kings protests planned for Saturday, March 28, Michigan leaders and advocates gathered to voice opposition to the Trump administration’s policies.
They called for protecting elections, defunding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and stopping the war with Iran.
Sherri Masson is one of Indivisible Michigan’s leaders, a coalition founded with the goal of defending democracy. She said the war with Iran is distressing Michiganders.
“Thousands of people in our state have family in Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, places where bombs are falling right now,” Masson said. “These aren't headlines. These are parents, children, cousins, friends. People here are grieving. People here are terrified.”
The Trump administration has stated the war is a “necessary exercise of American strength."
Linda Gruber, the founder of the Michigan Democratic Party Senior Caucus, criticized the expansion of ICE officials into communities across the country.
“ICE has murdered American citizens in broad daylight. There are...grotesque abuses happening away from the cameras,” Gruber said. She added that the majority of individuals in detention have no criminal convictions.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has stated that securing the nation’s borders and safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system is its primary focus. ICE said immigration enforcement is critical to the safety, security, and well-being of the nation.
Angela Davenport is the Executive Director of the Voting Access for All Coalition. She voiced concern about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill that would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
The Trump administration has claimed there have been widespread instances of non-citizens voting. This is inaccurate.
Davenport said that requiring documents many people don't have easy access to would create unnecessary barriers for voting.
“At Voting Access for All Coalition, we believe that if you have the right to vote, you should be able to use it without fear, without confusion and without barriers,” she said.
Cheryl VanDyke, a member of a LGBTQ+ and allies community organization called the Crowded Table Coalition, said organizers are expecting huge crowds at this weekend's protests.
“People are coming off the sidelines because they understand that we’re in a fight for our democracy,” she said.
