Hundreds of North Texans plan to protest the separation of immigrant children from their parents Saturday by participating in Dallas-Fort Worth events as part of a series of nationwide demonstrations.

More than 628 events have been planned in all 50 states to “send a clear message to Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress,” according to Families Belong Together — a coalition of advocacy and civil-rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn, United We Dream, Women’s March and the YWCA.

In Dallas, a rally at 10 a.m. Saturday at City Hall will be followed by a march at 11 a.m. A psychologist will speak about the trauma that detained immigrant children experience, and a representative from the Democratic Party will be available to register people to vote.

Michelle Wentz, who planned the Dallas march, hopes for 1,500 to 2,000 attendees. She said it has been “absolutely incredible” to witness her community’s empathy and passion for this immigration issue.

“I’ve not run into one person who said it’s a left or right issue,” Wentz said. “Zero tolerance is a human-rights violation.”

A second Dallas City Hall rally, not hosted by Wentz, is set for 5 p.m.

After hearing about a baby taken from her mother while breastfeeding, Texas Woman’s University student Saja Davis wondered what she could do about family separations. She decided to host a rally when she saw that one hadn’t been planned for Denton.

“To the people who say marches don't do anything, look at all the marches against the Muslim ban last year,” said Davis, whose rally and march will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at the historic courthouse lawn. “If 400,000 people show up to marches all over the nation and people are calling your office about policies and threatening not to vote for you in the midterms come November, it causes people to change their opinions.

“The more pressure you add, the more likely things will change.”

Sherry Christiaens of McKinney also decided to organize a rally when she discovered there was no event set for her town. Within 12 hours, 40 people had signed up, and soon local organizations reached out to provide support. She expects 300 to 500 people to attend her 10 a.m. Saturday rally at Dr. Glenn Mitchell Memorial Park.

“It gives me hope for the future,” Christiaens said. “Hope has been in very short supply.”

Ahead of the weekend rallies, protesters met outside the district courthouse in El Paso on Tuesday morning before traveling to Tornillo's tent city by bus to deliver clothing, books and other items to detained immigrant children. A demonstration Thursday in Brownsville will feature Jay Ellis, an activist and actor from HBO's Insecure.

To find a Families Belong Together event near you, visit familiesbelongtogether.org.