ATHENS, Ga.—Students at the University of Georgia participated in a ‘March For Immigrants’ last Friday to protest against the ban on immigration posed by President Trump. The event was created by the Muslim Student Association in partnership with the UGA chapter for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Ali Marmel, a Public Health and Psychology double major from Augusta, Georgia, is head vice president of the Muslim Student Association and says this protest will not be the end of the fight.

“Going forward it’s continued resistance… that is what the message is,” Marmel says. “This march might not just be about immigrants, it’s an expression of many of these executive orders which seem very short-sided.”

Students began arriving to Tate Center around 5 p.m. last Friday and proceeded to march to the Arch shortly before 6 p.m. The protest continued at the Arch where people held signs and shared personal stories and words of encouragement.

Marmel is planning multiple events on behalf of the MSA in the coming weeks in light of the ban. Next week, Marmel plans to do a “spotlight on refugees” on campus where he hopes to educate others about who refugees are and clear up what he feels are common misconceptions about these individuals.

Malik Grace, an Agriculture Business and Applied Economics double major from

Abbeville, Georgia, is a conservative Republican who feels that President Trump has the country’s best interests in mind.

“I think he’s trying to do the best thing for this country,” Marmel says, “he’s trying to make it safe and get it secure again before we allow people into this country… and so that they can be able to embrace our culture before they come over here.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that it has suspended all actions to implement the immigration order and will resume regular practices of traveler inspection as it did prior to the order. President Trump took to Twitter to express his vow to fight the judicial halt.

Grace feels that the tension that surrounds the issue makes it difficult to move forward.

“There shouldn’t be any tension…you shouldn’t be living here yourself if you don’t want the best thing for your country,” says Grace, “These people are coming from different regions and we don’t know how they have been affected by ISIS and certain terrorist groups in those areas.”

Grady Newsource contacted the UGA College Republicans and they declined to comment on the ban and the march.

By: Cassie Daigle

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