U.S.

Somebody Hung A 'Refugees Welcome' Banner On The Statue Of Liberty

The sign was taken down after about an hour, but the reactions are still pouring in.

The Statue of Liberty
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Not long after the Department of Homeland Security unveiled plans to crack down on illegal immigration, a banner reading "refugees welcome" appeared on the base of the Statue of Liberty. It remained there for only about an hour before being taken down by park rangers. 

Activists using the Twitter account Alt Statue of Liberty have claimed responsibility for the banner. In an email to NBC4 New York, a representative said, "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."

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Many who support a more open border policy saw the banner in a positive light.

But those who support more stringent immigration and refugee policies, like former Congressman Joe Walsh, were less than pleased.