Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets across the United States Saturday for a national day of action protesting President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration crackdown. Organizers say there were up to 700 rallies nationwide, including on the U.S.-Mexico international bridge in El Paso, Texas. This is Fernando Garcia.

Fernando Garcia: “It is in this bridge where many asylum seekers have been turned back and turned away from protection and from petitioning for asylum, in this bridge. I think that is not only violating the law, international law, but also national law, the idea that there are families looking for protection, and these officers are here telling them to go away. Obviously, there is a common demand. And the common demand is that we cannot treat immigrants as criminals, we cannot put them in jail and, much less, incarcerate children the way that the United States is doing.”

The rallies came 24 hours after the Trump administration claimed in a court filing that it has the right to jail migrant families indefinitely, despite a 1997 court settlement that says the government must release migrant children from detention within 20 days. From coast to coast Saturday, protesters demanded an end to family separation and family detention. This is actress and activist Laverne Cox, speaking at the rally in Los Angeles.

Laverne Cox: “America, we are here because we believe that families belong together. We are here because our hearts are broken. But let us not forget that this country was built on the backs of slave labor that routinely stripped children from the custody of their parents.”

Later in the broadcast, we’ll air more voices from Saturday’s “Families Belong Together” rallies protesting President Trump’s immigration crackdown and the separation of families.