Protestors gathered outside U.S.Senator Rand Paul’s Bowling Green office Saturday in support of changes to federal immigration policy. An estimated 200 people rallied in Bowling Green as part of a national “Families Belong Together” campaign.
The group is calling for an end to President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Sabina Husic came to Bowling Green as a refugee with her family. Bowling Green is a refugee resettlement area and home to many Bosnian immigrants. Husic said America was something that her family dreamed about but never thought was possible.
“To see the things that are happening right now it’s just crushing my American dream, because to me America was the beacon of hope and right now I see that light diminishing,” she told WKU Public Radio.
Husic said she wants the U.S. to allow more refugees and asylum seekers into the country. She said the process of immigration needs to be sped up, because when people are seeking asylum they can’t wait for years on end. Husic said seeing ethnic cleansingin the former Yugoslavia has made her aware that prejudice can lead to deadly consequences.
“I want people to understand that we are not immune to this. The worst could happen when you least expect it and we need to make sure that we are doing our best to prevent something like that from happening as soon as we see the signs,” she told WKU Public Radio.
Husic said she's standing up for the more than 2,000 children separated from their families, because her family needed people to speak up for them when they were seeking asylum. Similar rallies were held in other Kentucky communities including Louisville, Madisonville, Morehead and Pikeville.
