We Are Not Alone

Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa begins by warning that “elections have consequences, and it’s important for everyone to understand that if your feet are on this country’s soil, you have the same rights as everyone else. That means the right to due process, under the Fourteenth Amendment [of the Constitution]. You have the right to a lawyer, and you need to know your rights. What’s happening in our country right now is unprecedented, and in 18 months we have a chance to change Congress.”

Figueroa explains that he is in office “because the people of my county elected me. I do not work for the federal government. If there’s a judicial warrant signed by a judge, I’m obligated to cooperate. But I will not follow administrative orders. That has been my policy since I was elected, and it won’t change. An administrative order is simply signed by a person who is not a judge and is an immigration officer. If you have a complaint, you can call us, and you don’t need to worry about us contacting immigration. That is not our job.”

The sheriff identifies two key problems in the current situation. One is that the border, both north and south, must be protected, especially against drugs like fentanyl and heroin. But the other is that “immigration laws haven’t changed in this country since 1985, and Congress, the federal government, needs to act. We can’t place all the burden on local communities. Our nation’s history is rooted in immigration and immigrants. Not everyone who crosses the border is a criminal. Who does all the hard work in our communities? Whether it's mowing lawns, cooking in restaurants, or building homes, the economic impact would be immense.” That’s why he believes “we need a federal plan so that those in our country can work without worrying about being deported, since many have U.S. citizen children.”

Steve Noble, Mayor of the City of Kingston, which has declared itself a welcoming and inclusive city since January 2017, says that in 2025 this declaration means that “we are all bewildered by what’s happening at the federal level and saddened by our president’s order to carry out heartless raids. Our goal is to continue educating our residents. We publish information on social media and in our newsletter to help people understand their rights and what resources are available during these difficult times.”

Noble emphasizes that “our police department does not engage in immigration enforcement. If you see a Kingston police officer or vehicle, know that we do not participate in those activities. The sheriff’s office has also made this clear to the public. We want to assure our residents that we remain available, that we are trustworthy, and that we won’t ask about their immigration status.”

How can ICE presence be confirmed in the community? The mayor believes that if people see ICE operating in Kingston and can confirm it, “I encourage them to let our police department know so we can be aware, as ICE does not contact us directly. I believe it is truly dangerous for our law enforcement officers to have other agencies working in our city without our knowledge because it could jeopardize everyone’s safety. So, if people see that agency in our city and it’s confirmed, they should notify the police department, and we can help verify that information.”

To verify, Noble asks people “to take a photo of the vehicle or the agents. We’re looking for firsthand testimony, not second or third-hand. I repeat, there’s no way to verify unless there’s an actual photo or firsthand testimony of what’s happening.” Figueroa agrees, “we can ask, but they don’t have to answer, because they’re federal and have jurisdiction across the country, I’m local.” That’s why he advises people in these situations, “citizens have phones, use them to take videos.”

Information is power

Diana Campos is Co-Executive Director of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM), a nonprofit based in Columbia County that also works in Greene, Albany, and northern Dutchess counties to support, empower, and collectively defend immigrant communities. Campos says, “These days our organization has gotten a lot of attention because we’ve shared information about the rights all immigrants have when encountering immigration. We’re also well known because my co-director, Bryan McCormack, was quite successful a few years ago when he was stopped by immigration officers in Hudson, in his own car. He was carrying two community members who had gone to local court. The key was that we showed how it can be done in your own communities. Reflecting six years later, the members in that car also deserve a lot of credit because they were recording, didn’t speak, didn’t answer questions, and didn’t open the door. For that to happen, everyone had to be on the same page about their rights.”

Nic Abramson, member of the recently formed Ulster Rapid Response (URR), cares about supporting the local immigrant community because “they are the most vulnerable people in our society, and the government is targeting them. We have to protect our neighbors.” The idea behind rapid response, Abramson explains, is quick mobilization of resources to support immigrants targeted by ICE actions in our communities. “Typically, rapid response teams are witnesses and document ICE activity, determine whether the warrants are judicial, ensure detained individuals know their rights, and support the people left behind.” He adds that several local organizations and many individual members are part of this rapid network.

Both URR and CCSM already operate hotlines for community members to call if immigration is outside their door or workplace. Campos says that in those situations, they ask for as many details as possible, “such as what kind of action is happening, who showed up at the door, how many agents, what kind of vehicle. While we have them on the line, we remind them of their rights. Many times, we’ve seen agents present administrative orders signed by immigration officers (from DHS, the Department of Homeland Security).” The work of rapid response, documenting, verifying, and informing others, is completely legal, affirm Campos and Abramson.

Laura García Balbuena of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) reminds the community to stay calm: “don’t get discouraged, because lately I’ve heard from people who don’t know how to go on with their daily lives due to this intense fear that paralyzes them. My recommendation is always to get information from legitimate sources, from sources with accurate information, like our Facebook page.”

United we stand

Not even a day had passed under the new presidency when Roni Arzoni Balderas, a U.S.-born child of Mexican parents, noticed the presence of immigration officers in his town of Middletown, Orange County. “And like everyone else, we were afraid, for our family members and coworkers. People were terrified by what was happening.” Balderas decided he had to do something for his community and, along with other neighbors, created the rapid response group Latinos Unidos de Orange County. “We started with 15 people,” he recalls. Today they’re nearly 700 members who alert each other if they see strange vehicles in their streets, and those who can, go see what’s happening, including lawyers when needed. “What I want is for it to grow even bigger and be an example for other cities that might also be affected. Now is the time to raise our voices for everyone,” says Roni.

Sheriff Figueroa concludes, “As a U.S. citizen, a Marine, a soldier, someone who took an oath to uphold the Constitution, I can’t believe that in 2025 we’re having these conversations. The federal government must do its job. It must implement and fix immigration law, and not come into our local communities to expel people and leave us with all the headaches.”

RESOURCES

ACLU: wehaverights.us/spanish
 IDP: immigrantdefenseproject.org/conozca-sus-derechos-con-ice
 NYIC: nyic.org/resources-training/kyr

Listen to the full interviews at the following links:
 bit.ly/FigueroaNoble
 bit.ly/CCSSURR
 bit.ly/GarciaNYIC
 bit.ly/RoniMiddletown

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