"It hit me in the heart. I cried," said Adelmund, whose event drew about 125 people.

"If we can't come together under the idea of 'Kids shouldn't be taken from their parents,' where are we?" he asked. "We have to speak out now while we can, before we can't."In Columbus, Ohio, at least one person was arrested when protesters blocked a downtown street, the Columbus Dispatch reported. But most of the rallies remained peaceful.

In downtown Los Angeles, John Legend serenaded the crowd while Democratic politicians who have clashed with Trump had strong words for the president, including US Rep. Maxine Waters who called for impeachment.