Protests in airports across the US are getting only more heated as people angrily respond to the ban on travellers from Muslim-majority countries by President Donald Trump.
The immigration system was plunged into chaos after Mr Trump on Friday (local time) put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States, and temporarily barred travellers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries.
People began gathering at the airport around 11am on Saturday, chanting outside Terminal 4: "No hate, no fear. Immigrants are welcome here."
By Saturday evening, there were at least 11 people in detention at New York City's John F Kennedy (JFK) airport who had arrived from Iraq and other barred countries, according to The Guardian.
Riot police are now at the airport, monitoring the growing crowds.
Justine, New Zealand lawyer who wished to withhold her surname, said while at the best of times JFK is a busy airport, "tonight it is something else altogether".
"There are hundreds of people out here, there are signs, they are chanting, there are drums," she told Newshub.
She believes that the executive order hit "a raw nerve" for New Yorkers, many of whom are immigrants from other countries.
"There's lot of energy, a lot of determination. People are really wild about this. There are people who are immigrants and people were born here who cannot believe what is going on."
The order was condemned by many, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who wrote on his Twitter: "We are a nation of bridges, not walls ... This is not who we are. And not who we should be".
A judge has issued a temporary stay allowing those affected by the executive order to remain in the country.
Newshub.
