“Refugees welcome,” read a 20-foot red and white banner that hung across the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday.
National Park Service rangers quickly removed the sign, but images of it spread across social media.
An activist group calling itself Alt Lady Liberty said it hung the banner and emailed this statement:
“Almost all Americans have descendants from somewhere else. Immigrants and refugees make this country great. And turning away refugees, like we did to Anne Frank, does not make us great. Refugees are welcome here, Muslims are welcome here and immigrants are welcome here.
“And it’s not just our ancestors. Every American knows an immigrant or a refugee. We wanted to send a reminder about America when we’re at our best — the country that’s a beacon of freedom to the world, built by immigrants. Walling off countries or entire religions is against our values. That’s what the Statue of Liberty stands for.”
The group also took to Twitter, posting the image with a caption: “We must heed the words of Lady Liberty: #RefugeesWelcome”
This show of activism comes days after President Trump announced he is working on a new travel ban that is expected to be revealed this week.
