ELIZABETHTOWN — Concern for others continues to circulate throughout the North Country as citizens gathered on the lawn of the Essex County Government Center to bring awareness as to what has been happening to immigrants and refugees.
Organized by Adirondack Friends of Refugees and Immigrants, the event was held to counter assertions made by the Trump administration.
Compiled by AFRI and supported with fact-checked details were the following:
• Immigrants do not increase crime. They are arrested at half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes, and one-fourth the rate for property crimes.
• Immigrants have a positive impact on the economy and pay more into the system than take out.
• Immigrants work at jobs Americans don’t want while increasing commerce, which leads to job growth. In addition, immigrants bring different skills to the work force. Immigrants provide cutting edge innovation
• Undocumented immigrant taxes shore up and do not deplete federal welfare benefits such as Social Security.
‘SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT’
AFRI chairperson Cynthia Poppino added to the details such as, “300 green card holders are being detained for organizing protests on behalf of the Palestinian people. Our tax dollars are paying for privatized detention centers which incentivize them to keep detaining refugees and immigrants as long as possible.”
AFRI vice chair Bob Harsh brought out numerous points which were accentuated by Bobbi Perez ringing a bell after each statement, to which the gathering responded by saying, “We shall overcome.”
Among Harsh’s 14 statements were: We mourn the loss of the Welcome Corps and Catholic Charities programs and the Afghan family that was supposed to come to Plattsburgh; We mourn the loss of freedom of speech; We pray for the protection of birthright citizenship, and for those whose temporary protected status is being revoked; We protest the violations of due process and the disinformation being spread about immigrants.
Dick Perez remarked, “In my heart of hearts I know something is not right. I wake up in the morning and don’t know what to do about it, and take one step ahead of the other. Our leaders and president say the least of us don’t matter. They are doing everything Jesus Christ told us not to do in treating others. We hear more and more about collateral damage; of those being swept up under the guise of being criminals.”
‘THIS IS A VIGIL’
As he was about to speak, a shout-out from a passing vehicle exclaimed “Go Trump! Yahoo!” to which the Rev. Lauren McArthur responded, “This is a vigil, we don’t have to outshout them.”
McArthur then continued, “I remember reading in the Bible an important lesson that we all come from a single seed. We are all one.”
Those in attendance then sang, “This Land is Your Land” and “If I had a Hammer.”
OPPOSING VIEWPOINT
Near the conclusion of the rally, Jeremy Armstrong presented a different viewpoint.
“I love my country. We wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for Biden and Obama (He also blamed his domestic problems on them). We are hurting people; people who pay taxes. You want to repeat history that has ruined us. I don’t agree with everything Trump and Elon says; some of their outrageous stuff.
“A lot of our problems start with immigration; the problems they have here in New York state. I agree with having immigrants if they come here legally.”
Armstrong spoke of some of misuse he witnessed such as seven people using one person’s green card to get paid.
“I don’t feel my tax money should go to help them. Our government has been crooked since the 1980s.”
Although the rally was intended to emphasize the plight of refugees and immigrants some of the hand-written signs expressed dissatisfaction with other aspects of the current administration.
They included: $$$ for Education; No to Project 2025; One Love-The Human Race; Inhumanity is not an American Value. Trump crosses the border of decency; Our America is in distress; and several references to Elon Musk whom they felt should be deported.