About 20 people staged a rally at the Lincoln County Courthouse Sunday afternoon, protesting the consequences of the executive orders of President Donald Trump.

Their concerns ranged from immigration to reproductive rights, and general fears from the authoritarian nature of Trump’s proclamations in his first 10 days in office.

“Stop separating our families,” one protestor’s sign said.

“The Holocaust started as a mass deportation,” another sign said.

Some protestors took issue with a new Tennessee state law that creates criminal penalties for officials who adopt sanctuary policies, removing those officials from office if they are convicted.

Also, there is a recent proposal in Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution to allow Trump to extend his presidency for a third term if re-elected. The exception to the two-term limit would be possible because his two terms are not consecutive, if the constitutional amendment were eventually adopted.

The demonstrators pointed to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the U.S. Trump revoked “birthright citizenship” in an executive order, sparking immediate legal opposition.

“We’re fighting for the rights of everyone, on the right and the left,” one protestor said.

Others questioned the role of Elon Musk in the government. Musk has not been elected to office and is originally from South Africa. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002. Still, one of the protestors said, “Trump backs billionaires.”

Another said Musk addressed a far right rally in Germany recently (Jan. 26), supporting the AfD (Alternative for Germany) political party, which is a far-right political party known for nationalist, anti-immigration policies.

“Trump wants to create a nation of Christian nationalism,” a North Platte demonstrator said.

One of the protestors said he spent thousands of dollars to legally come to the U.S. He has a work permit that he renews annually for a fee. If he is deported, it could tear up his family.

“I’m a working person and I pay taxes,” he said, “but I’m not entitled to receive any government benefits.”

Some motorists yelled criticism at the demonstrators and revved their pickup engines as a threat. The demonstrators didn’t seem intimidated, occasionally yelling back. Other passers-by give them a friendly honk and thumbs up.

In Tennessee

Here is a summary of the immmigration provisions of the new Tennessee law, SB 6002/6001 –

As introduced, creates within the department of safety the centralized immigration enforcement division, to be administered by the chief immigration enforcement officer; establishes a grant program for purposes of promoting the enforcement of federal immigration laws; creates criminal penalties for officials who adopt sanctuary policies and subsequently requires their removal from office upon conviction; requires department of safety to issue lawful permanent residents a temporary driver license, instead of a standard license, to aid in determining voter eligibility for someone who presents a Tennessee driver license as identification.” – Tennessee General Assembly

The provision that requires a special driver’s license for lawful permanent residents raises concern that it could be used to identity them for unfavorable treatment.

What are lawful permanent residents? According to the the U.S. Office of Homeland Statistics, lawful permanent residents are not U.S. citizens, but have been granted residency for a variety of reasons, the largest of which is family reunification. Other major categories of lawful permanent residents include economic and humanitarian immigrants.

A video of part of the protest line:

Photos by George Lauby

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