Hundreds of migrants stopped traffic in the heart of Times Square on Thursday evening to protest the Biden administration’s decision to stop an influx of asylum seekers entering the country.
The group marched into the Crossroads of the World after having started their demonstration in Herald Square — chanting in Spanish while towing a shipping container on the back of a truck along the way. The cargo container served as a physical representation of the U.S./Mexico border in the southwest, where metal shipping containers have been used in an effort to block people from illegally crossing.
The protest occurred days after President Biden signed an executive order in which the government would temporarily stop all asylum requests when the average number of daily encounters at border ports of entry exceeds 2,500 people, according to NBC News.
Those marching on Thursday see Biden’s border order as a political move as he faces convicted felon and former President Donald Trump in a 2020 election rematch. Trump has stymied bipartisan efforts to resolve security issues on the border.
Along with showcasing their disdain for the tighter border rules, demonstrators also used the shipping container they lugged around Manhattan as “symbol of hope.”
“Today, we turned a sign of hate into a symbol of hope. We came together to send a message to President Biden: respect our humanity and stop criminalizing us. We are more than the hateful stereotypes. We are united and we will continue to stay strong against the attacks on our community,” said Nadia Marin-Molina, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
After arriving in Times Square, the group parked the container beside Father Duffy Square. Other demonstrators clasped hands and blocked traffic.
The display moved rush-hour commuters in Times Square not in sympathy, but in seething anger.
“You can have a peaceful protest without doing this!” one person yelled.
“I have a screaming baby in the back of my car, all you have to do is let us turn left here,” another pleaded.
Some furious commuters had to be separated by police after arguments with protesters grew heated. Other stuck motorists just rested on the open doors of their vehicles, waiting for their turn to pass.
The marchers eventually moved on without any arrests made.
The National Assembly of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) organized the protest. The organization believes that the Biden executive order is the most sweeping immigration crackdown by any Democratic president in years., severely limiting the ability of immigrants to receive asylum in the U.S.
