Religious groups protest outside downtown LA detention center over separation policy

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Religious groups and activists held a demonstration Thursday in downtown Los Angeles outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center amid continued outrage over the separation of immigrant families.

Despite President Donald Trump signing an executive order Wednesday that reversed the decision to separate children from their parents, demonstrators said the question of reuniting about 2,000 children remains.

Those 2,000 children were separated from their parents within the last two months, around the time the zero-tolerance policy was enacted.

The group marched around the detention center and ordered a stop to the separations. Many expressed continued anger and frustration with the Trump administration.

"It took international outrage for the Trump administration to put a halt to this disgusting policy separating children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. That was bad enough," social worker Yadira Villa said. "But now, it looks like the Trump administration thinks we are going to just forget about the nearly 2,000 children that have yet to be reunited with their parents. They think this is just a public relations crisis - it is far worse than that."

Before the demonstration, religious groups held a prayer vigil.

Members believe pressure from various religious organizations may have helped prompt the president to sign the executive order.