A mother and three children enrolled at Sackets Harbor Central School were among seven people detained by federal immigration authorities at a dairy farm in Jefferson County in late March.
In March, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiated “enhanced targeted operations” in New York, the department stated.
According to North Country Public Radio, the operations included a visit to North Harbor Dairy in Jefferson County’s village of Hounsfield.
During the farm investigation, investigators discovered seven illegal immigrants in the United States.
Agents arrested and processed the suspects. They have now been transferred out of New York State and are awaiting removal proceedings, according to NCPR.
The Sackets Harbor Central School District verified that the individuals included three students enrolled there: one in elementary school and two in high school, one of whom was treated as an adult.
“Basically, law enforcement was executing a warrant for a person who was allegedly involved in a crime. This happened at a local farm within my school district boundaries,” Sackets Harbor Superintendent Jennifer Gaffney said, according to NCPR. “My students were caught in the middle of that raid, and they were taken and detained.
“These kids are classmates, they are good friends, they are wonderful students, and they are part of the fabric of our school community, and they just need to be returned to their classrooms.”
The children’s mother was also taken into custody.
Gaffney stated that the children’s friends are concerned about their whereabouts. Spectrum News reports that their teachers are distraught.
According to Spectrum, Gaffney also issued a statement stating that the district wants the students back in classrooms as soon as possible.
“It is horrifying that these children and their mother were snatched from their home and disappeared,” Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the The New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement, according to NBC News.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also spoke.
She added in a statement that she had worked with numerous administrations on immigration but could not conceive of any public safety reason for agents to pull a family, including children, from their home.
“That is not the immigration enforcement promised to the American people. It’s just plain cruel,” Hochul said, according to NBC. “I want this family returned to New York state and believe ICE needs to immediately answer for these actions.”
The Jefferson County Democratic Committee is arranging a protest to support the youngsters.
It will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. in Sackets Harbor. The event will conclude in front of the Sackets Harbor house of Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar.
“He lives in that community and he is a North Country native, so this is right in his backyard. And it’s shameful,” Corey DeCillis, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Committee, said, according to NCPR. “Obviously this is the administration’s policy, but I really think they’re going about it the total wrong way, and he needs to understand this is his backyard and his community and he’s impacting it greatly.”
