Catherwood LibraryILR School

Five-thousand protestors plan to stage a rally Wednesday afternoon to support families who have been separated at the border. The event is a collaboration between several immigrant advocacy groups and labor unions including AFSCME and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. “Labor United to Free the Children” is expected to be the largest demonstration in the Philadelphia area since Trump took office. Although the Trump administration publically rescinded its policy of separating immigrant families in June, it is expanding the number of beds and holding facilities, as it’s done at the Berks County detention center in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has been a loud advocate against Trump’s policy of separating families, and says that all children deserve the right to public education. PFT President Jerry Jordan has supported the Hernandez family, who have so far avoided deportation. On Tuesday, Hernandez’s daughter, who is scheduled to speak at the rally, told the press “the problems of my family are also labor issues, and we are stronger when we fight together.”