Hundreds gathered in Coleman Park in Nashville to hold a travel ban vigil, standing in solidarity with the many refugees who are still trying get into the U.S.
"These bans do not reflect the value of this country. This is not the America my family was welcomed to," one speaker said.
What would've been a travel ban protest turned into a vigil to support refugees and immigrants suffering around the world.
On Tuesday and Wednesday two federal judges blocked President Trumps controversial travel ban. This was the administration's third attempt at such a ban.
The first ban, however, did leave it's mark on Juma Shaibu's family. "She was supposed to move and come join us in America," he explained.
Shaibu's from Sudan and escaped the war ravaged country about four years ago. After a lengthy vetting process his aunt was set to join him in Nashville but President Trumps first travel ban halted her plans and she was sent to a refugee camp in Sudan. Months passed and her health declined.
"She got depressed, she got stressed and then finally she died of a heart attack and blood pressure," Shaibu said.
To him, this is personal. "It affected most of my family because she's the elderly lady that we had. She was supposed to come and give advice, the history of Darfur, the legacy that she left she was supposed to give us but now she's no longer there because of the ban," said Shaibu.
For the hundreds of others, they say as long as this administration fights to keep refugees and immigrants out they'll keep fighting to let them in.
Similar vigils were held in Chattanooga and Knoxville.
