Protestors march to keep families together

About 300 people gathered in Caldwell Park in Pocatello to take part in the “Families Belong Together March.” They marched around Pocatello, chanting and receiving honks from drivers passing by. The marchers are speaking out about families being separated at the border.

“We need to give these people a chance to come here legally seeking asylum to make a better life for themselves and their children,” said Kristin Dahlquist, who organized the Pocatello march.

There were people of all ages, ranging from young children, to a 99-year-old woman. They all had a similar message, keep children with their families. They carried signs saying things like, “We Care, Do You?”, “Free the Children” and “Keep Families Together.”

“Regardless of what our immigration policy is, it shouldn’t be dividing families,” said Caroline Wight. “So, this seems like a no-brainer. And I know that technically the policy has stopped, but there are kids who still aren’t back with their families and they need to be there.”

“We’re really opposed to innocent children being used as political pawns,” said Brenda Correll Whitworth. “It’s disgraceful for the United States of America to be involved in anything like that. So that’s why we’re here, for the innocent kids.”

The marchers also say they wanted to show that there are people out there who care. And that they are paying attention to what their representatives do. They also say they want people to know the difference between good and bad.

“I think people are over looking that,” Dahlquist said. “I want to tell them to open up their hearts. We’ve got room, we’ve got jobs. These people add to our economy. They add to the diversity and the richness of the culture in the United States.”

Idaho Falls and Jackson also held marches.