BEACON HILL, MA — Hundreds of people descended on the State House in Beacon Hill Wednesday in respond to news of the Trump administration's family separation policy, that tears children from their parents' arms at the southern border.

"This is deeply personal to me, I came to the country when I was 5 from the Dominican Republic, I come from a family of immigrants," said Juana Matias who took the mic at the rally. Photo: Jenna Fisher/Patch An hour after the protest ended, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop the family separation policy his administration had been enforcing at the United States-Mexico border. The ACLU of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition are some of those organizing outside the State House to call on legislators to pass the Safe Communities Amendment. That amendment would restrict local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities and prohibit officers from asking about immigration status.

The amendment passed in the Senate in May but has not been taken up by the House. Gov. Charlie Baker has threatened to veto it. Meigan Goff and Janeth Moreno of Massachusetts Association of Attorneys said one thing many people don't seem to understand about the entire immigration issue is that international law provides for anyone seeking asylum in another country. If an immigrant comes to the US border and tells officials there that they are seeking asylum because they fear for their life in their home country, a United Nations provision in place means that those immigrants have the right to apply for sanctuary without being detained long.

The right to seek asylum in the country comes from international law, said Immigration attorney Janethh Morano. Photo: Jenna Fisher/Patch We were at the rally live: Will you join us at the State House today? https://t.co/rUSWsXaVFt

— ACLU Massachusetts (@ACLU_Mass) June 20, 2018 Another rally is planned for June 30.

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