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Distance doesn’t deter disappointment over border issue

Even though Louisville, Ky. is far from America's border, many still feel strongly about the immigration crisis.

LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) - Strong reactions to families being separated are pouring in from people across Kentuckaina.

Despite President Trump's updates Wednesday, groups WHAS11 talked to think there's already a lot of damage done. They believe this will be difficult to come back from even when it's resolved and said it paints a problematic picture for the country's future.

Louisville sits more than a thousand miles away from the border, but that distance isn't dampening the disappointment felt by many locally, with reaction to the immigration issue spreading to the intersection at Shelbyville and Hurstborne Wednesday morning, June 20.

"We think it's worth doing this to be visible to the public to let everyone know we're not in favor of this administration's policy,” Epiphany Catholic Church member Braydon Bowen said. “I think we are crossing a red line, and we’re becoming more of a Nazi Germany every day in terms of the way we’re handling human beings. We’d like to see that stop.”

Members of the Epiphany Catholic Church now plan to be here every Wednesday to show their support.

"I love all of the honking horns and the thumbs up signs,” Bowen said.

Louisville's leader is also weighing in, with Mayor Greg Fischer calling this a low point for the country.

"This is not a republican issue. This is not a democratic issue. It's a human issue. That's why there's so much anguish about this. You can hear the hearts and souls of our country with people crying out for these kids,” Mayor Fischer said. “The last thing that children should be used for is political fodder like this. I just think it’s despicable. To use kids for leverage in a political debate, I think, is absolutely wrong. I mean imagine if your child was pulled away from you and then used as some type of leverage in negotiation. That’s just wrong. That’s not who we are as a country.”

The issue and the images it brings impact everyone in some way, especially those who work with immigrants every day.

"I think this is unacceptable. This is wrong,” Americana Community Center Executive Director Edgardo Mansilla said. “We are using children’s lives to make a point, and this is wrong.”

Mansilla thinks separating families creates trauma that can never be taken away.

"This is probably the most damaged piece, that families feel like they don't have hope,” Mansilla said.

It’s something Mansilla still believes can be restored, but only if everyone is willing to work together

“The United States is the best country in the world. This is the contradiction we have today. We know that we are the best, but we are not showing or acting like we are the best. Act as a human, seeing other people as a human. If we can get to that point, I think we can find change,” Mansilla said.

There's a protest planned for Thursday from 3-4 p.m. outside the ICE office in downtown Louisville. That's at 7th and Broadway, and everybody is encouraged to join.

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