Livestream available here. Photos available here.
Rochester, NY—On Saturday, April 25 the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), allies, and community members rallied at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester.
This Wednesday, Dolores was detained at her ICE check-in and promptly disappeared to out-of-state detention centers, far away from her family, attorney and support network. Dolores is a mother, grandmother and long-time apple picker in Wayne County who has spent two decades building community in New York State. She has been attending regular ICE check-ins after her asylum claim was denied on a technicality. Dolores is a model community member who supported countless neighbors. She has served on the board of multiple organizations, including the Workers Center of Central New York and the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. She was originally caught up in the immigration legal system through a routine traffic stop in 2014 by state police who then turned her over to Border Patrol.
“Dolores is a model community member – she should have never been separated from her family and community. After escaping domestic violence in her home country of Mexico and finding safety in upstate New York, she became a pillar of the local farmworker community. Dolores has spent decades advocating for community members, and raising a family in New York. Her story is just one more example of ICE terrorizing our communities and ripping apart families. Even when immigrant New Yorkers follow every immigration rule, they are targeted by Trump’s unjust deportation machine. We are demanding Dolores’s immediate release. She must be brought home, and immediately reunited with her family and community. It’s long past time that this country prioritized creating a pathway to citizenship for people like Dolores,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition.
“Dolores is an extraordinary leader, a tireless advocate, and a deeply valued member of our community. As a current member of the Board of Directors of Alianza Agrícola, she has dedicated years to fighting for the dignity, safety, and rights of farmworkers across New York State. Her leadership has strengthened our organization and inspired countless workers and families. Dolores should never have been separated from her loved ones or from the community she has spent decades helping to build. After overcoming significant life obstacles and rebuilding her life in New York, she became a trusted advocate, neighbor, and friend. Her detention is yet another example of how the current administration continues to tear apart innocent families and target hardworking people who sustain our communities and contribute in essential ways to our economy. Immigrant workers like Dolores are vital to agriculture and to the well-being of our state and our country. We demand Dolores’s immediate release and her quick return home to her family. Our community stands united in solidarity with Dolores, her family, and everyone fighting to bring her back,” said Luis Jimenez, President, Alianza Agricola.
“At every step of her life Dolores has confronted impossible decisions with grace, resolve and dignity, doing what is right and just. ICE’s lawlessness and petty aggression stand in stark contrast. We call on all of our elected officials and fellow community members to stand with Dolores and call for her immediate return to NYS and release from ICE detention,” said Jessica Maxwell, Executive Director, Workers Center of Central New York.