U.S. Capitol Police say they have charged roughly 575 people — including a congresswoman — with unlawfully demonstrating during a Capitol Hill protest of President Trump's immigration policies and family separations at the southern border.

The protest took place in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. According to U.S. Capitol Police, the individuals are being processed on the scene and released. The demonstrators were there in protest of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy that treats illegal border crossings as criminal offenses. Mr. Trump signed an executive order ending family separations, but hundreds of children remain separated. A federal judge has ordered that families separated at the border be reunited within 30 days.

Among those arrested was Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state.

"I just got arrested with a group of, I don't know exactly how many, but over 500 women," Jayapal said in a video posted to Twitter. "At least 500 women who took over the center of the Hart Senate building, protesting the inhuman and cruel zero-tolerance policy of Donald Trump and this administration, the separation of families, the caging of children, the imprisonment of asylum seekers who just seek a better life," Jayapal said in a video she posted to Twitter. "These women understand, they're from all over the country. It was organized by the women's march and by the Center for Popular Democracy. And they understand that this is far beyond politics. This is about right and wrong, and we have to stand up and we have to put ourselves on the line."

Mr. Trump continues to insist the U.S. needs to be tough at the border, strengthen the nation's immigration laws, and build a border wall.

On Thursday, first lady Melania Trump visited Tucson, Arizona, to meet with federal immigration officials and visit immigrant children.

This is a developing story and will be updated. </s> Hundreds of activists, including actress Susan Sarandon, center, challenge the Trump administration's approach to illegal border crossings and separation of children from immigrant parents, in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 28, 2018.

Susan Sarandon was among hundreds of people arrested in Washington, D.C. Thursday during a protest, her representative Teal Cannaday confirmed to USA TODAY Friday with a statement from the actress.

"I was moved by the passionate, committed response to ending the separation of families seeking asylum and the incarceration of children," the statement read. "This is a moral, not political question and I’m proud to have stood with the hundreds of women to say that we do not accept this. Unite families and abolish ICE."

Thousands of women marched through the capital and occupied a Senate office building in a "mass civil disobedience" act to protest the Trump administration's immigration policy.

According to the United States Capitol Police, approximately 575 protesters were charged with "unlawfully demonstrating." Police said they were being processed on the scene and then released.

Sarandon, 71, also shared the news via Twitter Thursday, saying "Arrested. Stay strong. Keep fighting" with the hashtag #WomenDisobey.

She also tweeted out more thoughts and images from the sit-in, including calls-to-action.

"Abolishing ICE & family separations/detention is bigger than either of us. If ur in D.C., please come out & march," she tweeted.

Protesters were demonstrating against President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, which has caused more than 2,000 migrant children to be separated from their parents after crossing the border.

A major protest is planned for Saturday in Washington, D.C., with sister rallies across the country.

This isn't the first time Sarandon has been vocal about politics.

She also tweeted in support of the Women's March on Washington in January 2017.

Earlier this month, she marched to end gun violence in New York, and in March, she joined Cher at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington in support of tighter gun control.

More: Susan Sarandon is queen of the Cannes red carpet in revealing gown </s> Hundreds Arrested Protesting Trump Administration's Immigration Policies

toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Nearly 600 women were arrested Thursday in one of several demonstrations across the country protesting the Trump administration's treatment of migrant families at the southern border.

Politics President Trump Attempts To Change Immigration Narrative After Reversing Family Separation President Trump Attempts To Change Immigration Narrative After Reversing Family Separation Listen · 3:48 3:48

Organized by the Center for Popular Democracy Action and the Women's March, a group that spearheaded the original Women's March in January 2017, the demonstration in Washington, D.C., sought to end family detention, create an immediate process for family reunification, and abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Protesters marched past the Justice Department then staged a sit-in at the Hart Senate Office Building where they chanted, "What do we want? Free families!" and "This is what democracy looks like," among other things, according to The Associated Press.

About 575 people were arrested and charged with unlawfully demonstrating inside the building, AP tweeted, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said she was "proud to have been arrested with them."

Mrinalini Chakraborty, head of Field Operations and Strategy for Women's March, said the demonstration was a strategic decision by the organization to motivate change.

"A mass act of nonviolent civil disobedience seems like the right approach right now to send shock waves through the system," Chakraborty said. "Marching is not enough anymore."

The decision to risk arrest is one that Chakraborty says is necessary to the movement.

"It's time for us to sacrifice, to put our bodies on the line, because I don't want to be one of those people 30 years later when we look back on this time thinking what was I doing then," Chakraborty said. "I want to be able to say that I fought like hell and that I did everything in my power to protect the marginalized."

Yatziri Tovar knows what it feels like to be marginalized. A Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Tovar felt a moral responsibility to stand in solidarity with the families at the border and to stand up for their rights.

"I know what it feels like to have that fear of being separated from your family," Tovar said. "We're going to be fighting until these families are reunited, fighting until families are no longer detained, and also for the defunding of ICE so they stop targeting our communities."

Deborah Harris is the state coordinator for the women's march in Nevada. She traveled to D.C. to march for all the people that could not march themselves.

"You have to act while you still have the freedom to act," said Harris. "You don't have to be in my family for me to care. You don't even have to be my neighbor. It's about our human rights."

In Brownsville, Texas, several hundred people rallied in front of the federal courthouse to protest the administration's family separation policy. Brownsville is a border city on the Rio Grande River across from the Mexican city of Matamoros.

The event drew protesters from all over Texas, including educators and church activists.

toggle caption Eric Gay/AP

Ellie Moseman, a retired executive secretary from Rio Honda attending the first public protest in her life, said she was especially opposed to the plans to detain immigrants on military bases.

"Horrible, horrible. And it's for an indefinite time period. So mothers and children now are going to be detained together for how long" she asked.

The rally was sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Faiz Shakir, national political director for the ACLU, said the group would oppose the housing of migrants on military bases.

"Families don't belong in jail. Families don't belong on military bases," Shakir said. "We're literally treating them as if they were Osama Bin Laden, or another terrorist who needs to be locked up on a military base. It's obscene."

Talia Wiener is an intern on NPR's National Desk. </s> Nearly 600 women were arrested Thursday in one of several demonstrations across the country protesting the Trump administration's treatment of migrant families at the southern border.

Organized by the Center for Popular Democracy and the Women's March, a group that spearheaded the original Women's March in January 2017, the demonstration in Washington, D.C., sought to end family detention, create an immediate process for family reunification, and abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Protesters marched past the Justice Department then staged a sit-in at the Hart Senate Office Building where they chanted, "What do we want? Free families!" and "This is what democracy looks like," among other things, according to The Associated Press.

About 575 people were arrested and charged with unlawfully demonstrating inside the building, AP tweeted, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who said she was "proud to have been arrested with them."

Mrinalini Chakraborty, head of Field Operations and Strategy for Women's March, said the demonstration was a strategic decision by the organization to motivate change.

"A mass act of nonviolent civil disobedience seems like the right approach right now to send shock waves through the system," Chakraborty said. "Marching is not enough anymore."

The decision to risk arrest is one that Chakraborty says is necessary to the movement.

"It's time for us to sacrifice, to put our bodies on the line, because I don't want to be one of those people 30 years later when we look back on this time thinking what was I doing then," Chakraborty said. "I want to be able to say that I fought like hell and that I did everything in my power to protect the marginalized."

Yatziri Tovar knows what it feels like to be marginalized. A Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Tovar felt a moral responsibility to stand in solidarity with the families at the border and to stand up for their rights.

"I know what it feels like to have that fear of being separated from your family," Tovar said. "We're going to be fighting until these families are reunited, fighting until families are no longer detained, and also for the defunding of ICE so they stop targeting our communities."

Deborah Harris is the state coordinator for the women's march in Nevada. She traveled to D.C. to march for all the people that could not march themselves.

"You have to act while you still have the freedom to act," said Harris. "You don't have to be in my family for me to care. You don't even have to be my neighbor. It's about our human rights."

In Brownsville, Texas, several hundred people rallied in front of the federal courthouse to protest the administration's family separation policy. Brownsville is a border city on the Rio Grande River across from the Mexican city of Matamoros.

The event drew protesters from all over Texas, including educators and church activists.

Ellie Moseman, a retired executive secretary from Rio Honda attending the first public protest in her life, said she was especially opposed to the plans to detain immigrants on military bases.

"Horrible, horrible. And it's for an indefinite time period. So mothers and children now are going to be detained together for how long" she asked.

The rally was sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Faz Shakir, national political director for the ACLU, said the group would oppose the housing of migrants on military bases.

"Families don't belong in jail. Families don't belong on military bases," Shakir said. "We're literally treating them as if they were Osama Bin Laden, or another terrorist who needs to be locked up on a military base. It's obscene."

Talia Wiener is an intern on NPR's National Desk. </s> CASA in Action and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) hold a rally to 'demand protections for the men, women and children separated at the border as a direct result of Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2018.

Thousands of people are expected to descend upon Washington, D.C., and all 50 states on Saturday to protest the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration that's sparked widespread debate after more than 2,000 children were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"(The) family separation crisis is not over. We have a situation where the Trump administration seems to be aiming to detain families," said Karthik Ganapathy, a MoveOn.org spokesman.

The more than 628 rallies held in response to President Donald Trump's controversial policies – including family detention – are being organized by the Families Belong Together Coalition, which includes the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Leadership Conference, MoveOn.org and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU said 300,000 alone will be in attendance in Washington, while MoveOn.org said Wednesday they expect hundreds of thousands of protesters in the nation's capital.

Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department declined to comment on crowd estimates for Saturday. The National Parks Service granted a permit Tuesday for an estimated 50,000 people for the nation's capital rally.

Each state is expected to host at least one event, with some states, such as Texas and Massachusetts, participating in upward of 30 events. California anticipates being the state with the most events – at least 80 on Saturday, according to the Families Belong Together website.

Why are these protests happening?

The rallies are in response to a widespread desire among Americans to take action against Trump's strict immigration policies, said Lorella Praeli, ACLU director of immigration policy and campaigns.

"This is our country, and if there is something happening that takes us in the wrong direction, we can’t stay silent," Praeli said. "It’s on us to hold our elected officials accountable, to hold our president accountable and to demand action. So silence in this moment is complicity."

After Trump signed an executive order last week ending the family separations, a California judge ordered the Trump administration Tuesday evening to reunite the migrant families it had separated.

There are 2,047 children that must be placed in the same facility as their parents within the next two to four weeks. But U.S. law and a series of court rulings that limit the amount of time minors can be held in detention will further complicate those reunions.

A June 18 CBS News poll showed 67 percent of Americans found separating undocumented immigrant children and parents at the border "unacceptable."

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said she has been engaging with organizers ahead of Saturday's demonstrations, and many are concerned about the direction of the country.

"The separation policy here, separating children from their parents and detaining them in internment camps and caging them is something that you would think would happen in tyrannical, authoritarian countries, not in a country that says that it is a democracy, not in the United States of America," Weingarten said.

Fabiola Perez, 24, said she will be protesting in Winston-Salem, North Carolina because of her personal history with the U.S. immigration process.

"I have been in those kids' shoes. I’m currently a DACA recipient; my parents brought me to the U.S. when I was only 7 years old. I had to cross the border and we failed multiple times, my little brother, my mom and I were detained by the immigration officials," said Perez, a sales operations coordinator at PepsiCo. "It was scary not knowing what to expect and also not knowing the language at the time. Thankfully, we were always kept together, which helped my brother and I feel safe."

Perez said she's also protesting as the mother of a 6-year-old son.

"Just the thought of getting my son ripped away from while only trying to get a better life for him would not only devastate me but it would definitely traumatized him," Perez said.

Episcopalian Chaplain Jenifer Gamber, 52, will rally at the Keep Families Together Coalition's event in Washington, D.C. Gamber said protesting sends a strong signal to elected officials about the public's opinions on immigration.

More: Trump administration racing the clock to reunite 2,000 children with parents

More: 'They killed my mother, killed my father:' Central Americans risk lives to reach US border

"I am appalled at the Trump administration’s treatment of people seeking asylum in the United States that criminalizes asylum-seeking and separates families," Gamber said.

Despite the uptick in multiple large-scale protests since Trump's inauguration, such as the Women's March and the March for Our Lives, Weingarten said activists are not feeling fatigued.

"People are just furious with the level of cruelty that is represented by this administration," Weingarten said. "There’s a sense of determination to try to make this difference." </s> PHOENIX — First lady Melania Trump made a second visit to a border state Thursday, meeting face to face with people directly affected by her husband’s hard-line immigration policies.

“I’m here to support you and give my help, whatever I can” on “behalf of children and the families,” Mrs. Trump said as she sat down with officials at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Tucson, Arizona, the first stop of her trip. She later travelled to Phoenix, where she visited a complex that is housing dozens of migrant children separated from their parents.

It was the first lady’s second trip to a border state amid an ongoing outcry over President Donald Trump’s now-suspended policy of separating migrant children from their families when they cross the border illegally. Many were placed hundreds of miles away from one another and have been struggling to be reunited.

“She cares about children deeply and when the news started to hit, I think she was very concerned and wanted to make sure the kids are being well taken care of,” Mrs. Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said on the flight to Arizona.

“She doesn’t like to see parents and kids separated.”

In Washington, Capitol Police said 575 protesters were arrested and escorted out of the Hart Senate Office Building in a mass demonstration that called for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and an end to migrant family detentions and the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

The women were charged with unlawfully demonstrating, a misdemeanor.

“I have two kids, and as a white mother, there is almost no circumstance that they would be taken away from me – ever,” said Victoria Farris, who slept Wednesday night in All Souls Church after participating in civil disobedience training. “I was awake one night because I couldn’t sleep thinking about all those [immigrant] mothers and terrified children. I realized I had to do something more than protest, more than make a sign and march.”

Protesters unfurled banners inside the Hart building Thursday as others staged a sit-in, wrapping themselves in shiny, silver space blankets. The political banners, which aren’t allowed in the building’s lobby, were confiscated by police.

Just after 3 p.m., protesters were rounded up in groups of a dozen or more and led out of the building.

“Abolish ICE,” they shouted as more were moved out. “Shut it down.”

Demonstrators continued to sing and chant as they were led away.

When the first group was escorted out of the building, the remaining crowd erupted in cheers.

As police continued to clear the area, several senators greeted demonstrators, including Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

“I join them in calling on the Trump administration to reunite these families and give these kids back to their parents,” Duckworth said. “On my side of things, I ask my colleagues, let’s pass, finally, sensible immigration reform.”

Actress Susan Sarandon, who marched at the front as the protest made its way down Constitution Avenue, was arrested with a group of demonstrators.

It took about an hour to clear the women from the building.

The protest began hours earlier at Freedom Plaza, where hundreds of women robed in white and carrying signs deriding the Trump administration’s immigration policy had gathered. The protest was organized by a coalition of groups, including the Women’s March and the immigrant advocacy organization Casa de Maryland.

Several participants wrote “WE CARE” on their palms, a rebuke of the jacket first lady Melania Trump wore on her first trip to visit detained children near the border.

On Thursday, Mrs. Trump made her second trip in a risk-averse ensemble of a black sweater and white slacks.

The first lady’s first trip to the region, a week ago Thursday, had been overshadowed by a jacket she wore to and from the border town of McAllen, Texas, that had a baffling message on the back: “I really don’t care, do u?”

The choice ignited the internet and spawned a slew of memes about what the first lady, a former model, may have meant. Her spokeswoman said it was just a jacket, with no hidden message. But the first lady’s husband undercut the no-message message by tweeting that she was saying she really doesn’t care about the “fake news” media.

On Thursday, Mrs. Trump visited what officials described as a short-term holding centre for migrant children in Tucson and then travelled to Phoenix, where she visited Southwest Key Campbell, which receives grant money from the Department of Health and Human Services. A total of 121 children are being held at the facility, including 81 who had been separated from their parents.

Mrs. Trump visited three classrooms, including one day care room with nine babies or toddlers. Another classroom had five cribs lined up against a wall.

A staffer at the facility said the children had been there, on average, 48 days.

Grisham said the first lady wanted to learn about the border processes making news around the world.

Asked whether the first lady agrees with her husband’s polices, Grisham said, “She definitely believes in strong border laws,” and wants Congress to strengthen immigration policies. But she also believes in “governing with heart,” Grisham said.

More than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents at the border in recent weeks, and some were placed in government-contracted shelters hundreds of miles away from their parents.

The president last week signed an executive order to halt the separation of families at the border, at least for a few weeks, but the order did not address the reunification of families already separated.

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that thousands of migrant children and parents be reunited within 30 days — and sooner if the youngster is under 5. The order poses logistical problems for the administration, and it was unclear how it would meet the deadline.

With files from The Washington Post </s> (CNN) — Demonstrators are expected to gather in cities across the United States on Saturday to protest the White House’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that has prompted the separations and detentions of migrant families.

Here’s what you need to know about the Families Belong Together rallies.

What is it?

 The Families Belong Together event is billed by organizers as a nationwide day of action to protest the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies and call for the reunification of families separated and detained as a result of those policies’ implementation.

Hundreds of marches are expected to cap several weeks of outrage over the policies that have resulted in more than 2,500 immigrant children being separated from their parents in the weeks since the federal government started prosecuting anyone who crosses the border illegally.

Who is organizing the event?

 MoveOn, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the National Domestic Workers Alliance are the lead partners sponsoring the event, according to the FAQ on MoveOn’s website.

They’re joined by dozens of other organizations lending a hand, too, per the Families Belong Together website. Amnesty International USA, the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Women’s March are among them.

What do demonstrators want?

 According to a document outlining the Families Belong Together messaging strategy, protesters have three primary demands:
• They want separated migrant families to be reunited immediately
• They want the government to end family detentions
• And they want the Trump administration to end its “zero tolerance” immigration policy

Despite the fact that President Trump signed an executive order last week reversing his administration’s family-separation policy, more than 2,000 children were still waiting to be reunited with their parents as of June 26, causing further anger and accusations that the administration is taking too long to take action.

“Since the beginning, President Trump has shown callous disregard toward mothers, fathers, and children who only want to find safety,” Amnesty International USA’s tactical campaigns manager Ashley Houghton said in a press release.

“Last week’s executive order presents a false choice to people seeking protection. Detaining families is not the solution to ending family separation. Every family approaching the border must be treated with dignity and respect,” Houghton said. “The administration must end the cruel and unnecessary practices of family separation and detention.”

Where are the marches taking place?

 The main march is taking place in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., across the street from White House. Thousands of people have indicated they will attend or expressed interest in attending the event on Facebook.

Hundreds of other rallies are being held by local organizers in all 50 states. Protesters will show up in US cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas, as well as in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There are also a handful of marches slated to take place in international cities such as Munich, Germany.

What will happen at the events?

 The groups are asking march attendees to wear white as a “striking visual symbol” to bring participants together and “channel historic social justice movements unified by one color of clothing,” the FAQ says.

Demonstrators are also asked to bring their friends and a sign with a messages expressing support for the reunification of separated families, bearing messages like, “Keep Families Together” or “Familias Unidas No Divididas.”

MoveOn has additional information and resources available on its website.

After June 30, organizers say they’ll continue working until their demands are met. The end goal is to change the way immigrant families are treated in the years to come.

“We will keep working to re-imagine a new future where our families and loved ones are together to live freely and with dignity,” the groups say, “not separated or put in camps or cages.” </s> Image zoom Piper Perabo Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty

Actress Piper Perabo was one of 70 protesters arrested in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday by Capitol Hill police, she claims.

The Coyote Ugly and Covert Affairs star, 41, had been protesting the first day of hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when she was escorted out by police, according to a video she later tweeted.

“I was just arrested for civil disobedience in the Kavanaugh hearings,” Perabo wrote in her tweet. “Many citizens before me have fought for the equal rights of women. I can’t be silent when someone is nominated to the Supreme Court who would take our equal rights away.”

The clip Perabo tweeted showed her being removed from the hearing room while she and other women interrupted the proceedings to demand senators don’t vote to confirm the Trump-nominated judge.

Capitol Hill police and a rep for the actress did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

I was just arrested for civil disobedience in the Kavanaugh hearings. Many citizens before me have fought for the equal rights of women. I can’t be silent when someone is nominated to the Supreme Court who would take our equal rights away.#StopKavanaghpic.twitter.com/f3SG7gmVam — Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) September 4, 2018

RELATED: Who Is Brett Kavanaugh? What to Know About Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee

Authorities said in a statement on Tuesday obtained by CNN that they had “responded to numerous incidents of unlawful demonstration activities within the Senate Office Buildings today that were associated with the first day of hearings held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

Of the 71 people arrested, 61 people were removed from one Senate office building and charged with disorderly conduct while nine more were pulled from another office building “for unlawful demonstration activities” and charged with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding.”

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” – James A. Baldwin pic.twitter.com/f5h6RbvpKV — Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) September 4, 2018

RELATED: Where Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Stands on Abortion and Other Hot-Button Issues

Perabo, who has been outspoken on Twitter about her disapproval of Kavanaugh’s possible appointment, later tweeted a photo of herself with other women who had been protesting and were also allegedly arrested. She also included some of their handles.

“Proud to stand with them, and stand up for equal rights,” she wrote.

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually,” Perabo wrote on a selfie in front of a D.C. court building, quoting James A. Baldwin.

RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack

If approved by the Senate, Kavanaugh, 53, who currently serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, would take the seat of Justice Anthony Kennedy following his retirement from the bench.

The news of Kennedy’s retirement has stoked fears among Democrats, abortion rights activists and everyday citizens that Trump’s nominee could lead to the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, which legalized abortion across the United States.

Kavanaugh’s hearings resumed on Wednesday morning — as did Perabo’s tweeting. </s> It’s been nearly two months since the Trump administration implemented its “zero tolerance” policy toward undocumented immigrants, prompting the separation of thousands of children from their parents.

And on Saturday, massive crowds are expected to take to the streets to say loud and clear that “Families Belong Together.”

The main march will take place in Lafayette Square in Washington, but hundreds of marches, protests and rallies are scheduled across the country to call for the immediate reunification of migrant families and an end to family detentions and separations.

Several rallies and marches are also set to be held in Southern California. Demonstrators will descend to Los Angeles City Hall for a march that will get underway at 11 a.m. The program will feature a wide range of speakers, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Kevin De Leon, singer-songwriter John Legend and actor Eugenio Derbez.

According to organizers, protesters have three demands:
• They want separated migrant families to be reunited immediately.
• They want the government to end family detentions.
• And they want the Trump administration to end its zero tolerance policy.

Demonstrators have been asked to wear white and carry signs with messages such as “Keep Families Together” or “Familias Unidas, No Dividas.”

And Saturday’s protests are just the latest. On Thursday, more than 1,000 female activists marched through Washington and ended up in a Senate office building to protest the White House’s policy.

According to US Capitol Police, 575 of them were arrested.

The crisis has been building for weeks

More than 2,500 undocumented children were separated from their parents in the weeks since the zero-tolerance policy took effect. Under the policy, any adult caught crossing the border illegally faced prosecution, and their children were sent to federal shelters all over the United States.

Outrage over the separations has been at a fever pitch for weeks. The anger hasn’t abated either, even after President Donald Trump signed an executive order June 20 reversing the family separation policy.

Six days after that order was signed, only six children had been reunited with their parents — meaning more than 2,000 children were still in limbo, feeding the furor and raising questions about whether the government actually has a plan to reunify families.

A federal judge this week ordered a halt to most family separations at the border and the reunification of families. Within 14 days, children under 5 were to be back with their parents, and within 30 days, children 5 and older were to be reunited with theirs.

But Families Belong Together protesters don’t want to wait.

Event organizers said Saturday’s protests are about addressing an ethical issue.

“This is not left or right,” said Anna Galland, executive director of MoveOn.org, one of the organizations leading Saturday’s protests. “It is right and wrong.”

Galland said she and US Rep. Pramila Jayapal put out a call for protests less than two weeks ago, and they’ve been “overwhelmed” by the response.

Rallies will take place in 750 cities big and small all over the country, Galland said, as people stand up for the rights of migrant families.

“I think if you asked someone on the street, ‘Is it a political question whether we should tear babies out of their mother’s arms?’ they would say, ‘No, that’s a moral question,’ ” Galland told CNN’s Christi Paul. “And this is a moment of moral outrage.”

“This is beyond politics,” the Washington state Democrat said Saturday morning. According to her, the rallies are about keeping the issue “at the front of the agenda” and sending a message to Trump that he can change his policy immediately.

“You don’t put kids in cages,” she said. “You don’t separate breastfeeding babies from their mothers. You don’t put asylum-seekers in prison, and we’re calling for an end to that today.”
About 575 women are arrested during a sit-in at the Hart Senate Office Building protesting the Trump administration family separation policy.