New York—On Thursday, March 27, a mother and her three children were taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Sackets Harbor, New York – the town where “border czar” Thomas Homan lives. The family was detained at ICE’s Karnes County Detention Facility in Texas. After the local community and advocates rallied for the family on Saturday, ICE has released the family from detention. The family will now enter the next phase of navigating their journey through the immigration system, and are requesting privacy at this time.
Jennifer L. Gaffney, Superintendent, Sackets Harbor Central School District:
“My colleagues and I are thrilled to announce that after ten days of uncertainty, our students and their mother are returning home. We are committed to providing the care, understanding, and sensitivity necessary for our students and staff to begin the healing process from this traumatic experience. In this difficult time, the strength and compassion of our community have shone through to support our missing family and the entire school community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has reached out with kindness and offered their support. We are now asking the community and media to respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“We are thrilled to announce that this mother and her children are coming back home to New York. This Sackets Harbor family should never have been taken from their home, and put in ICE detention. We commend the strength of the Sackets Harbor community for standing up with one voice to support their community members, classmates and friends. The Sackets Harbor community’s steadfast concern, care and love for their neighbors is what brought this family home. However, this incident will cause lasting trauma for the family, school and community affected. Donald Trump, Tom Homan and ICE must stop this campaign of cruelty, and the harm they are causing our local communities. Here in New York State, we will continue to fight for all of our community members.”