Hundreds Gather Outside Corker's Office to Protest Trump's Refugee Ban

Many people also packed into the lawn and parking lot in front of the office building to hear guest speakers, including Mayor Megan Barry.Hundreds (maybe even more than a thousand — News Channel 5 was told 1,500) gathered outside U.S. Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander's West End offices this afternoon to protest President Donald Trump's executive order on refugees and immigration. Between chants of, "No wall, no ban," speakers shared their own stories about coming to Nashville and finding a welcoming home here. Some opened up about how the executive order affects their lives, including taking away their ability to visit family during school breaks.

Mayor Megan Barry also spoke and supported the protesters, urging Nashvillians to create a place that's welcome to everyone. "America is stronger and better when we have each other's back. And we have each other's back in Nashville," Barry said.

After the cheers, Barry was asked if Nashville would be a sanctuary city, a place that would protect undocumented immigrants. She couldn't give the crowd the answer it was hoping to hear — which, as someone near me said, would be, "Hell yes!" — but she did say, "I would ask you to help me help the state legislature understand the power that we need here in Nashville. And I will tell you that a sanctuary city, you can use the language, but it's about the action. The action is in the words and the words are the fact that in Nashville we are not going to make our police immigration officers. They're not gonna do it."

Someone in the crowd then asked about whether or not there would be deportations from the Nashville jail. "What I need you to do with that is help me with the elected sheriff [Daron Hall]. That's his purview," Barry said. "But help me with him, I think he wants to do the right thing."

While police officers and crossing guards were present to ensure everyone's safety during the protest — which felt positive and peaceful — there have been some reports of a couple different cars coming in contact with protesters. There are few details, but there don't appear to be any reported injuries so far. Our reporter Stephen Elliott got some video of one driver being taken into custody after allegedly hitting a protestor with his car.

Cari Wade Gervin has been gathering statements from our local officials. Read what Alexander and Corker have said here.

The crowd wrapped around the corner, with hundreds of people filling the sidewalks down West End Ave. and Murphy Rd.