SALT LAKE CITY -- From the county building, through the city, and up to the Capitol steps, a group marched for solidarity and support of immigrants.
“This is something that can be done as long as we’re organized, as long as we mobilize, and as long as people understand what’s going on and show up,” said James Singer.
Singer told Fox 13 he plans to run for Sen. Orrin Hatch's United States Senate Seat in 2018 as a social democrat. He will publicly announce May 2nd.
Part of his platform is standing up for racial justice. He said without immigration, his family would not exist.
“My wife, she’s an immigrant," he said. "She came here on a visa that expired, and then, because of the laws and how they’re set up, pretty much made her a second or third-class citizen. And so I stand with her and all sorts of other people who are fleeing different kinds of situations."
He said a lot of the nation's current policies on immigration reflect a sense of fear, but President Donald Trump has repeatedly said it is about safety and protecting the country.
“We need safety," President Trump said. "We need cameras. We need all of the things that we’re going to be putting in, and we need the wall."
In celebration of his first 100 days in office, President Trump held a rally in Harrisburg, Pa. He outlined many achievements since his election, including a reduction in illegal border crossings.
He said he has heard that people think this means the southern border does not need a wall; for that reason, he ensured the crowd in Harrisburg the wall is coming.
“If the Democrats knew what the hell they were doing, they’d approve it so easy because we want to stop crime in our country," Trump told the crowd. "Obviously they don’t mind illegals coming in. They don’t mind drugs pouring in."
People at the March for Solidarity in Salt Lake City said that is not always the case. Anna Thomas, Strategic Communications Manager with the ACLU of Utah, said many people come to the United States for a second chance.
“A lot of us are just very lucky," she said. "We’re very blessed that we were born here, but we didn’t do anything to deserve that, and welcoming other people into our country who are willing to work hard, just like we want to work hard, and experience all of the things that the American Dream has to offer."
Their rally is over, but the people there said the fight is not. Some pledged to come to the capitol every weekend until change happens.
