Demonstrators Gathered at Cadman Plaza for Emergency Hearing on Immigration Ban

Demonstrators gathered outside the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse early Saturday evening after word got out via social media that an emergency hearing was taking place regarding President Trump’s executive order blocking travelers from 7 predominantly Muslim countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen—from entering the United States. The ban includes valid green card and visa holders as well as refugees.

Hundreds of travelers were affected by the executive order Saturday, being detained at airports across the country or while in transit. About a dozen people were being held at JFK Airport where a reported 1,000 protesters convened to show support for them. On Cadman Plaza, hundreds of demonstrators waited outside the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse as ACLU immigration lawyer Lee Gelernt argued on behalf of detainees before Federal Judge Ann Donnelly.

NPR reports, Judge Donnelly cited “substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa-holders, and other individuals” if they are turned away and deported. The judge issued a temporary stay on the deportations of valid visa holders after they have landed at a U.S. airport, temporarily blocking the executive order on immigration signed by President Trump on Friday. The stay applies to “all people stranded in U.S. airports,” affecting approximately 100 to 200 individuals, and will last until the case is heard on February 21st.

According to the Brooklyn Paper, “by the time the court’s decision came down at 9 pm, a packed Cadman Plaza East erupted with people singing, chanting, and cheering alongside a live brass band.”