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Identity

'I Am the Proud Daughter of People Who Came Illegally to This Country'

This is why I oppose Trump's immigration restrictions.
Photo by Brandon John

This interview is part of Broadly's Voices Against the Ban series. You can read more of these voices here.

Broadly: What brings you out to protest today?

*Abby, 23, Brooklyn:* I'm the daughter of Salvadorian immigrants. My parents were given asylum in the 90s during the Clinton administration. They're proud American citizens. El Salvador was undergoing a civil war at the time. Coming out is my way of being like I am the proud daughter of people who came, unfortunately, illegally to this country, but because they were escaping violence. It's a show of empathy. It's a little weird; a lot of supporters of the current administration lack empathy, and it's just like, we understand we're American citizens, yes, but remember every single one of us is an immigrant. Unless you are a Native American, you can not claim that this is your country, you cannot claim that you belong here and someone else doesn't, so it's very strange. You would think that with a president whose wife is an immigrant herself he would be a little more empathetic but he's not. That's just total ignorance and lack of knowledge on his part.

This interview has been edited and condensed.