Edmonds joins the map of nationwide immigration protests

Related: Governor, mayor join another anti-Trump protest in Seattle

Trump denies immigration restriction caused airport chaos

EDMONDS — Jenny Harvey’s family has been talking a lot about kindness.

The Shoreline woman brought her two daughters, 3 years old and 9 months old, to a protest Sunday afternoon on Edmonds Way. At least 100 people, mostly women, gathered in opposition to an executive order by President Donald Trump placing restrictions on immigration.

Harvey tells Violet, 3, that they have to do their part to make everyone feel safe and welcome, she said. The event in Edmonds was close to home and small enough for them to get their message of kindness across, she said.

Kelsey Foster, 44, of Edmonds, helped to organize the protest through a local Facebook group. The group has been active since November, she said. They wanted to hold something local, especially for parents and children.

She brought with her a neon green sign that read, “No Ban No Wall.”

“It’s important for people in our community, that maybe isn’t as diverse as Seattle, that our neighbors see there is support for refugees, immigrants and equality,” she said.

The protest was one of many organized over the weekend in response to the order Trump signed Friday. The order banned U.S. residents and visa-holders from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S. for 90 days, The Associated Press reported. It also put on hold a program resettling Syrian refugees. The order is affecting families in Snohomish County. It already has led to people being detained at airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Some were released after the ACLU and federal judges intervened.

Edmonds’ Natalie Lukson, 12, said her mother has made clear to her that women have equal rights. Furthermore, a ban that her family sees as targeting Muslims is “not fair,” she said. “Not all Muslims are bad. A teeny tiny percentage are.”

Kaelyn Lukson wanted her daughters to know they can express how they feel. She carried a sign with the acronym for “What Would Jesus Do?”

Her girls “have a civic duty to stand up for what they believe in,” she said. “We’re a Christian family and my sign says it all.”

The executive order has sparked conversations in other arenas in the county, including faith communities. Many local Democrats issued statements and took to social media, while most local Republicans did not.

Among those who spoke in favor of the president’s actions was Todd Welch, a Republican city councilman from Lake Stevens and a U.S. Navy veteran. He believes the United Nations should be more active in coordinating with world leaders so refugees can stay closer to their home countries, in case they eventually can return, he said. Refugees should not be confused with those seeking asylum, he said.

It doesn’t make sense to him to bring people into the U.S. from another part of the world, including those who have a different culture, language and style of government, he said. Temporary immigration bans have occurred under past administrations, he said. He called the opposition to the order unfortunate “hysteria.”

“It’s a fast-moving time and I don’t want to give up my security just so someone can come over here who hasn’t been vetted properly,” he said. “We are a nation of immigrants, but it’s also smart immigration. An immigrant is meant to make our country better, not for us to make them better.”

Mohammed Riaz Khan is president of the planned Islamic Center of Mukilteo. He spoke Saturday night at a long-planned interfaith town hall meeting at Pointe of Grace Lutheran Church. About 160 people attended, and many requested more similar events in the future, he said.

The executive order will have a disruptive impact on not just families but also businesses and schools, he said. Some of those affected are returning from spending the holidays abroad. He is in touch with families in Lynnwood and Marysville who had someone detained.

“People have the right to see their parents and loved ones,” Khan said.

He encouraged those at the Saturday event to stay vigilant for lawbreaking of any kind in their communities, he said. An anti-violence rally is being planned in April in Mukilteo as well.

In a press release, Rep. Rick Larsen said the order left “countless” students and green card holders with more questions than answers about what happens next. He is seeking legislation to outlaw the possibility of national registries based on religion, he said.

Sen. Maria Cantwell posted on Facebook that she believes the country “can find better ways to strengthen security through increased information sharing, law enforcement cooperation and the use of biometrics and technology.” State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he has joined his counterparts from more than a dozen states who plan legal challenges to the order.

Meanwhile, the protest in Edmonds included Mukilteo Mayor Jennifer Gregerson and her father, Bill, as well as a group from Edmonds United Methodist.

Across the street, Jennifer de Mello, 46, had borrowed for the day a pink furry hat that her daughter once wore as a crossing guard at Seaview Elementary. Another woman said she was there to support her foster son, who came from Mexico. Someone in her group of friends attempted to describe their shared feelings.

“It’s just the outrage,” he said.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.