A group of immigration attorneys and activists protested the appearance of Cecilia Muñoz, the Obama administration's domestic policy council director, whom they accuse of supporting deportation policies that separate and jail families.

Muñoz had been scheduled as the keynote speaker at the Annual Conference on Immigration Law hosted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She defended the administration's continued policy to separate families despite calls from immigration activists to end the practice, reported to Law360.

"I recognize that I'm asking a hard thing," Muñoz said. "Nobody on the pro-immigrant side of the debate wants to be the one to say, here's who you should remove from the country, and here's how you should do it, or here's who you should detain -- here's what a vigorous enforcement strategy that's also humane should look like. But by ceding this territory your movement is handing it to some people in Congress who really don't share your values. And they can sell their perspective to the American public pretty effectively."

Muñoz said this after attorney Sheila Starkey yelled: "You're jailing children!" while holding up a sign that read "Shame." Muñoz said she understood the policies "are really controversial," especially regarding the Central American immigrants who arrived last year.

A group of immigration attorneys had protested Muñoz's invitation and penned an open letter to AILA asking the group to rescind their invitation.

The immigration lawyers said Muñoz "is directly responsible for causing children to suffer severe and prolonged physical and mental harm in detention centers in Artesia, New Mexico; Leesport, Pennsylvania; Karnes City, Texas; and Dilley, Texas."

The letter also raised issue with the administration's handling of the refugee crisis created by the great influx of undocumented children last year.

Muñoz's criticism of the protesters, who are part of the #Not1More campaign, is misplaced, Marisa Franco told BuzzFeed News.

"Instead of targeting efforts for justice like Not1More, Muñoz should've taken this opportunity to announce an end to immigrant detention," Franco said. "The White House's job to make immigration policy more humane is far from complete and we will continue to push this administration."

Throughout her speech various other activists and attorneys silently held up banners protesting Muñoz and the administration's policies.

Crystal Williams, AILA's executive director, released a statement following Muñoz's speech in which she acknowledged the differences concerning the detention of mothers and children but also praised the president's executive orders.

"She did not shy away from those differences and in fact encouraged AILA and its members to continue to bring up concerns," Williams said.