Protesters march against immigration laws, the separation of families in downtown Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As thousands protested across the country Saturday, a "Keep Families Together" rally was held in downtown Houston Saturday afternoon.

The demonstrations come as a request for migrant children to reunite with their parents in wake of the images of families being separated at the border, as well as children being in detention centers.

The images of children separated at the border are what drove most of this crowd of different races and backgrounds.

Protestors were also yelling "No Baby Jails," while carrying signs that read "Families Belong Together," "This is not Amerikkka," and "Resist Hate."

"I'm absolutely horrified that we would do this to families, especially small children. This is a country that could absolutely revolutionize the world in a really profound and positive way, and instead we are taking this hate route, and it's absolutely heart and soul destroying," Jacinta Brondgeest, a protestor, said. "The solution to this is abolishing the hate..."

"The fact that our government is tearing kids away from their parents is, in my opinion, very unjust," Kenny Bacak, another protester, said. "It's just a way that our government shouldn't act, and a country that was built on immigration, it's crazy that we're trying to keep people out."

More than 600 marches on Saturday drew hundreds of thousands of people across the country, from immigrant-friendly cities like Los Angeles and New York City to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.