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Immigration Ban Protest At Bloomsburg University Draws People From Both Sides

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY — More than a hundred people marched and chanted holding signs in protest of President Trump’s travel ban on people from 7 countries...

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY -- More than a hundred people marched and chanted holding signs in protest of President Trump’s travel ban on people from 7 countries.

According to the State Department, 60 thousand visas have been canceled since Trump signed the executive order last week.

Trump says the order is meant to protect Americans from foreign national terrorists.

Critics call it a ban on Muslims.

"This is important because these people are people, no matter what nationality, no matter what color, religion, they are people and we need to come together to support them,” said Elizabeth Miller, a Bloomsburg University student who helped organize the protest.

"They're dying because they can't come to a safe place. And that's what the U.S is, a safe place for people. Why can't we have an American dream?" said Megan McCaslin, who is president of Bloomsburg University’s Muslim Student Association.

The protest at Bloomsburg University was organized by students, but professors and community members were here as well.

"I don't want to sit down and watch the suffering of other people and I don't feel comfortable doing that,” said Dr. M. Safa Saracoglu, a Bloomsburg University Professor who teaches Islamic History.

Trump's supporters showed up as well, standing and watching, and after the protests, speaking with protesters.

"There's less than 1/10th of one percent the university here so I don't think anybody cares at all. Trump is doing what he said he was going to do and that's what the people, 60 percent of the people of Columbia County voted for, so I don't think this is going to have any impact on anything the administration is doing,” said Dave Reilly of Bloomsburg.

The student organizers at Bloomsburg say they know they are far from Washington, but they hope their message will be heard, along with the messages of protests around the nation.

"We've gotten a really positive response and we're glad to see that everyone cares so much about these issues,” said Jessa Wood, another student organizer.

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