South Bend protestors concerned with border wall emergency declaration

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- On Monday, people packed the sidewalk in front of Senator Mike Braun’s office in downtown South Bend to protest the national emergency declaration made by President Donald Trump.

The President announced on February 15 he would declare a national emergency at the nation’s southern border to receive $3.6 million dollars, going directly to the construction of a border wall. Cheryl Nix, who attended the protest on Colfax Avenue, said she believes there’s a humanitarian emergency rather than a national emergency.

“I’m very concerned about the declaration of a national emergency when no national emergency exists,” said Nix.

South Bend’s protest was one of several on President’s Day. Event organizers with MoveOn North Central Indiana provided the following call to action regarding the national emergency declaration:

“We can invest in resources to more quickly process asylum requests. We can confront the humanitarian crisis the Trump administration is escalating – while refuting the manufactured national security crisis Trump and his cronies are promoting through their xenophobic lies.”

“Tell our representatives: Stop Trump’s racist wall and out-of-control deportation force. Treat all immigrant families with respect and dignity.”

Senator Mike Braun and Congresswoman Jackie Walorski are both in favor of the national emergency. Senator Braun said the President was left with no other option because legislation did not sufficiently address the humanitarian and security crisis on the southern border.

“I have mixed feelings, but if this is what it takes to get the wall built I think we kind of need it,” said Clifford Ort, who lives in Michiana.

Ort said there are people who try to come into the country illegally and legally. He said the country should be taking care of those who are ‘actually doing it right.’

With thousands of miles between Michiana and the southern border, protestors like Sam Centellas said it doesn’t matter if the national emergency only affects states like Texas, California and Arizona.

“Immigrants are all over this country,” he said. “I’m an immigrant so these things impact us here locally.”