Utica took part in a #DisappearedInAmerica national day of action
June 26, 2025. Fifty participants gathered in front of the Alexander
Pirnie Federal Building, 10 Broad St at 4 PM to raise awareness about
the unlawful abductions, detentions, and deportations taking place
under the Trump administration.
Participants stood and displayed posters with the names and pictures of those who
have disappeared. There are thousands more, many of whom are listed on the
http://www.the-disappeared.com website. #DisappearedInAmerica is a campaign led by a
growing coalition of immigrant rights, faith, rule of law, and pro-democracy
organizations.
“We stand in opposition to the violation of due process and the invasion of our
workplaces, schools, courthouses and homes to disappear our community members
into a network of substandard prisons where people are held in terrible conditions, both
in the U.S. and abroad, with little or no access to legal advice or concerned family
members.”– Diane Berry, Utica resident.
In America, we don’t let the government secretly detain or deport people without trial —
that is not the country we claim to be. This kind of lawless behavior isn’t just immoral,
it’s un-American, and we must draw a clear line against it.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees due process to everyone in this country, regardless of
immigration status — that means no one should be detained or deported without a fair
hearing. Deporting people without a trial is a direct violation of this core principle, and
the administration’s continued defiance of the courts is an attack on our legal system. If
the government can pick and choose who deserves due process, it puts all of our rights
at risk.
In a democracy, no one — not even the president — is above the law, and court rulings
are not optional. This isn’t just about immigration policy; it’s about whether we’re going
to let one man operate like a king or hold him accountable to the Constitution.
The Disappeared are mothers, fathers, children, often long-time residents, working
people, and spouses of U.S. citizens and/or military members. Children are growing up
without their mother and/or father, breast feeding babies are being torn from their
mothers, pregnant women are miscarrying in prisons. Families are suffering and
workers are missing from farms, construction sites, food processing facilities, hotels,
restaurants, carwashes and many other workplaces.
The Trump administration has already floated the idea of deporting U.S. citizens — and
if they can defy the courts in one case, they can do it in others. If we don’t stop this
abuse of power now, we risk normalizing a system where no one is protected from
government overreach.
Local sheriffs are not required to help ICE enforce federal immigration laws — they
have broad discretion over whether to participate in activities like detentions, transfers,
or immigration raids. When local law enforcement gets involved in federal deportation
efforts, it puts additional strain on resources and shifts the burden of federal policy onto
local communities. This kind of cooperation with ICE damages public trust — especially
among immigrant communities who may fear calling the police or reporting crimes,
knowing local officers might work with immigration agents. This makes everyone less
safe.
This action was supported by local organizations: Indivisible Mohawk Valley, Citizen Action,
Interfaith Coalition of Greater Utica, NAACP Oneida County, Mohawk Valley Latino Association.
