Trump immigration ban sparks planned Indy airport protest

Hundreds of people who stand in opposition to President Donald Trump's executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States are expected to protest Sunday afternoon at the Indianapolis International Airport.

In response to the order signed Friday, two Facebook pages promoting the Indianapolis airport-based protests were created.

One page, "ResistTheList," had more than 390 people marked as "going" as of 12:15 p.m. Sunday. The other, "Protest Against Fear," had more than 350 planned attendees.

Organizers of the two events have indicated that they have been in contact with one another and are now working together.

Galen Denney, the creator of the "Protest Against Fear" page, said in a Sunday morning Facebook post that people who wish to take part in the protest should meet at the main entrance of the airport at 4 p.m., and that remarks will be made at 5 p.m.

He went on to say the event was not about disrupting flights, traffic or commerce at the airport. He said the event is about expression.

"There have been several people expressing understandable concerns about security," Denney said in his post. "To them and everyone else I want to emphasize that this is a peaceful and legal expression and have no reason to believe that there will be anything but mutual respect between attendees and law enforcement, including complying with the legal requests of law enforcement."

IndyStar has reached out to Indianapolis International Airport officials for comment.

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With the airport protest, Indianapolis will join more than 30 other cities where demonstrations have either been planned or held.

Protesters took to major airports across the nation Saturday. In Chicago, thousands of demonstrators gathered at O'Hare International Airport. In New York, more than 2,000 gathered protesters at John F. Kennedy Airport chanted, "Let them in!" At Los Angeles International Airport, 200 protesters, shouted, "No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA."

More protests were planned Sunday in places like California, Washington, Maine and Idaho.

In addition to the airport protest, an event hoping to inform concerned immigrants will take place Sunday afternoon at a church on Indianapolis' northwest side.

An attorney and a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana are holding the "Know Your Rights" question and answer session at 2 p.m. at St. Monica Catholic Church, 6131 Michigan Road.

During the event, officials will provide information to immigrants and present them with a folder of legal forms, a list of trusted attorneys and a "Know Your Rights" booklet. The event is free and open to the public.

IndyStar will be attending and providing coverage of both the protest and the Q&A.

Trump's executive order suspends entry of all refugees to the U.S. for 120 days, halts admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely and bars entry for three months to residents from the predominantly Muslim countries of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

A federal judge in Brooklyn issued an emergency order Saturday halting deportation of such immigrants trapped at U.S. airports. Judges in Massachusetts and Virginia also ordered halts. Court rulings will have little impact on "overall implementation" of Trump's order, the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.

This story will be updated.

The USA Today contributed to this story. Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.