“No nos vamos!”: Dozens protest federal immigration crackdown in Warner Robins rally

A little more than a dozen people marched the sidewalk from Perkins Park down Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins to rally against the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown. 

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A little more than a dozen people marched the sidewalk from Perkins Park down Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins to rally against the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown.

“The most alarming thing was when we first started talking about sending people to Guantanamo Bay, I didn’t really think it was going to happen,” said Taiyah Lockett, the protest’s organizer. “I said if we actually send people, I’m going to make a protest. And we did, so I did.” 

The White House says nearly 140,000 people have been deported in President Trump’s first 100 days in office, while the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported 57,000. Rally goer and Warner Robins resident Cindy Kurtz says what she calls a lack of due process is even more troublesome than the number.

“I am very much concerned about what’s going on with the denying of constitutional rights to legal immigrants in this country,” Kurtz said. “And the fear that’s being put into the immigrant communities in this country.” 

Kurtz says she was at Wednesday’s rally in support of those afraid to speak for themselves and their loved ones.

“You would think that we would learn something from our past,” Kurtz said. “But unfortunately, history tends to repeat itself.” 

Lockett called on Rep. Austin Scott and other Middle Georgia elected officials to hold town halls to hear these concerns from constituents. She called on residents to stay informed and says she’ll look to build off her introduction to activism.

“El Salvador, the crazy ICE raids, you know, what just happened to that family in Oklahoma, that sort of stuff,” Lockett said. “Any time I see something like that, it’s just more motivation to keep doing stuff like this.”