Activists scaled the base of the Statue of Liberty on Tuesday to unfurl a massive banner reading “Refugees Welcome” across the observation deck.

The 20-foot red-and-white banner was up from roughly 12:45pm to just before 4:00pm, when the National Park Service tore it down.

In an email to local media, the collective of activists, which calls itself Alt Lady Liberty, said they were “just private citizens who felt like we needed to say something about the America we believe in.”

One organizer added, “Speaking personally—my grandparents met in a refugee camp after WWII, and my mother immigrated. So this touches close to home. But almost 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.”

The act came as President Donald Trump announced plans to increase deportations of undocumented immigrants and released guidelines on “hyper-aggressive” enforcement of his policies.