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by Peter Mertz
DENVER, the United States, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- A second day of protests erupted at Denver's biggest airport Sunday in response to restrictions on Muslims entering America.
As local politicians lined up against President Donald Trump's controversial new immigration policy, Colorado universities also cautioned members of their Muslim communities to stay home and not travel at this time.
"We're back in the stone ages, courtesy Donald Trump," said a 30-year-old Aurora woman who told Xinhua she was Iranian.
The crowd of 200 protesters holding signs denigrating Trump and his policies inside Denver International Airport (DIA) was smaller than Saturday's crowd of 500, but protesters told Xinhua they plan on returning each day.
"The best thing about Trump is that it (the ban) energizes educated people who understand U.S. history and law, and are repulsed by his performance," a protester, Abdul Hussein, told Xinhua at DIA.
"The anti-Trump, liberal movement is just beginning, and he brought it on," Hussein said.
Among the DIA protesters on Sunday was a Syrian refugee who was now an American citizen. He told Xinhua he was "utterly shocked" America would abandon its immigrants so easily.
Both Democrats and Republicans took shots at the new president, with Colorado's Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper taking charge.
"What is going on in Washington, D.C. is confusing, to say the least," Hickenlooper told Xinhua.
"This country is built on a lot of diversity that's not going away in one four-year period," Hickenlooper said, referring to Trump's presidential term.
Republican Mike Coffman, a U.S. House representative, was also critical, saying he would never support "a blanket travel ban for people solely on ethnic or religious grounds."
Democrat Ed Perlmutter, a U.S. representative from Colorado's 7th District, responded Sunday to Trump's executive orders saying he would "continue fighting for inclusiveness."
"America is a country of all people, not just Trump supporters," Hickenlooper said.
The University of Colorado said it would offer advice to its Muslim students this week, and the University of Denver strongly encouraged its Muslim students, staff and scholars not to leave the country.
Colorado State University officials said at least three of their international students had been stopped returning to the United States. Officials said they had been in contact with them, offering support.
On Saturday, an Iranian husband and wife doctor team was detained by police at DIA for two hours before being released.
In response to a law suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, a federal judge, appointed by former president Barack Obama, ruled Saturday that those Muslims in transit who hold valid visas could legally enter the country.
But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement immediately afterwards saying they would enforce the Trump ban anyway.
Trump's executive order barring citizens from seven Islamic countries from entering the United States has triggered huge protests at about 30 airports across the country over the weekend.
Trump officials reminded the nation Sunday that the ban would only stay in place for 90 days, until a clear policy toward Muslims is developed. The ban also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.
