August 24 Leg Act News
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
Leg Act News Highlights
ICE Activity in the Southern Tier by Nathanial Taylor
Residents across our region have reported a troubling pattern: unmarked vehicles idling near
schools and workplaces, plainclothes agents asking neighbors for identification, and in at least one documented case, an individual impersonating local law enforcement while conducting unauthorized federal immigration enforcement. Whatever one’s views on federal immigration policy, our community is stronger when everyone -- citizens, legal residents, and immigrants alike -- can go to work, take their kids to school, and seek medical care without fear of being swept up based on mistaken identity or unverified authority.
ICE activity has continued in upstate New York despite the perception that enforcement is
concentrated elsewhere. In early July, local groups including Concerned Residents of Greater Binghamton and Humans of ICE reported that roughly 20 to 22 people were detained across the Binghamton area, concentrated in Endicott and Johnson City over about a week. Most were stopped commuting to work; several had legal status. According to Broome County’s own Sheriff's Office, every adult ICE detainee at the county jail has been male, meaning a significant burden falls on families left behind, especially women and children.
In addition, the community suffers. On July 9, the group Indivisible Binghamton shared an account from a resident on Riverside Drive in Johnson City who said simply, “ICE stole my roofers this morning.” He had to turn off the hazard lights on the crew truck himself. Photos show a ladder still propped against the house and roofing materials left stacked on the lawn, a roof now open to the weather with no timeline for when the job will be finished. And somewhere, a wife or mother was waiting for a truck that never pulled into the driveway.
When enforcement overwhelmingly targets men, the aftermath falls on the families left behind: a child at school pickup watching every car but the right one never arrives, a wife calling a phone that goes straight to voicemail, a kitchen-table conversation with nothing factual to tell the kids. Rent and bills aren’t paid while a family searches for an attorney.
Advocacy groups say the silence that follows a detention — days without confirmation of where a loved one is held — is often the cruelest part. Local advocates say hundreds of families in our region have already been touched this way.
It’s tempting to see this as someone else’s story. It isn't. Unverified enforcement actions can
ensnare citizens and legal residents mistaken for someone else, and when fear keeps people
from calling police or seeking care, the whole community loses a layer of safety. A united
response isn't about partisanship; it’s about basic standards: transparency, verified
identification, and accountability.
Resources for Residents
Know your rights: You may remain silent and decline to open a door without a judicial warrant. The NYCLU offers free “know your rights” cards in multiple languages. Verify before complying: Ask anyone claiming federal authority for ID and their agency; if inconsistent, decline to answer and verify afterward through local officials.
Report activity: In Greater Binghamton, call or text the community hotline at 607-752-6339 or 607-644-0598. Humans of ICE and Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier help locate detained relatives and connect families to support.
Legal aid: NYS Office for New Americans hotline, 1-800-566-7636.
Build a family plan: Know who picks up children from school, where documents are kept, and
how bills get paid if a parent is suddenly detained.
In case you missed it, the Spencer ICE raid caught the attention of Ithaca College students. Their documentary is now available on YouTube courtesy of WCNY.
Somewhere in our region tonight, there’s an unfinished roof waiting for weather it can’t
withstand, and a family setting one less plate at the table than it did last week. We can’t undo that alone, but we can make sure no neighbor faces it alone. We are one community.
Standing together, informed and prepared, is simply what good neighbors do.
Campaign Corner
A big thank you to those who helped make the Tioga County Democratic Committee Picnic in the Park a success (despite the rain)! Whether you sold or bought tickets, helped set up or clean up, prepared or served food, donated auction items, or shared our Facebook posts, you are appreciated.
Event speakers included NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who is also running to
renew his term for NY Comptroller; Aaron Gies, the Democratic Candidate for Congress in NY District 23; and our own Andy Fagan, the Democratic Candidate for NYS Assembly District 124.
The Tioga County Democratic Campaign Committee has created postcards unique to Tioga County to support Aaron Gies for Congress and Andy Fagan for New York State Assembly. These postcards specifically target unaffiliated voters who are likely to vote. These are voters who are not registered with any political party and are important to the campaign because these voters can make a critical difference in the election. The goal of these postcards is to help unaffiliated voters to recognize the importance of voting for Aaron and Andy.
We recognize that there are many opportunities to write postcards, but given the limited time and high postage cost, we believe a targeted mailing is essential. If there is time and willingness, other postcards will be considered.
TCDC postcards will be available soon, and supporters and members will be notified when they are available. Please be patient, and we'll contact you as soon as they are ready.
Notables
Environmental Concerns in Alaska - By Marita Florini
My husband and I visited some “off the beaten trail” areas of Alaska, such as Copper Center, which is a beautiful, rural area between Anchorage and the Wrangell--St. Elias National Preserve, the hills outside of Anchorage, and a bush plane to the Arctic Circle, where we landed in Cold Foot, population ranging from 30–60 residents depending on winter or summer, and Wiseman, population of 11–30 residents. These two communities were originally gold rush towns that shut down once the harshness of winter and the minimal gold yield were realized. Both towns began anew, and Wiseman in particular has families that were born on the land and have thrived for two generations.
The Alaskan boreal forests are amazing temperate forests in which permafrost causes the trees to send out roots sideways. Scientists describe the tree roots as the “Wood Wide Web,” a network of communication much like the internet that uses chemical, microbial, and physical signals that influence growth, survival, and ecosystem dynamics. The limited number of tree types in Alaska has made it useful to study patterns of tree growth, demise, and how the overall forest responds.
Wildfires, largely started by lightning, are a predominant concern given the warmer and drier conditions from climate change. Fire is sometimes useful in clearing away debris, allowing new growth, and is connected to the animal population. When new growth occurs, it is usually a certain type, such as willow or spruce. Animals, such as bear, moose, caribou, and wolves, benefit from this young growth, since older trees are not as palatable or as easy to eat given their height. More bears, moose, and caribou help the wolf population. Rabbits, ermine, and smaller animals are also more prolific and help wolves and eagles. However, it takes time to grow a new forest. Food supplies may be limited for years.
Wildfires that are close to inhabited areas, including those far from resources or lacking in road access, are especially threatening. Smoke can affect communities far from the fire source, impacting public health, transportation, and aviation. Aviation is an important means of transporting supplies to remote native villages and small communities.
Other environmental concerns include hunting and fishing practices that have gutted populations of salmon, wolves, and caribou. In particular, salmon have been affected by logging and land development. Many Athabaskan natives still have a nomadic existence of establishing a summer camp to fish and prepare and dry salmon for the winter, while places like Wiseman depend on the ability to hunt caribou, which can provide meat for weeks during the cold and dark season. The caribou and wolf populations have a delicate balance. Over-proliferation of wolves will decimate caribou offspring, while over-proliferation of caribou will also result in the death of caribou offspring.
Finally, it is important to note that thawing permafrost and melting sea ice disrupt polar bears and the aquatic ecosystem of Alaska. Alaska’s environmental concerns are interconnected with climate change amplifying pollution, ecosystem disruption, and human health risks. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action across government, indigenous communities, and conservation organizations. Rising sea levels will affect us all.
I would like to end with an excerpt from an article entitled, “Why the World Should Really Pay Attention to Alaska: Alaska’s Climate Crisis, Human Rights, and the Indigenous Voices We Ignore” (Harvard - Kennedy School Aug 18, 2025).
“Senator Lisa Murkowski has long advocated for better climate-change responses and has been one of the most visible Republican politicians to do so. Climate change plays a significant role in Murkowski’s recently published memoir. Still, Murkowski supported Trump’s recent mega-bill with all its measures to make the fight against climate change harder. Apparently, she did so after the White House gave assurances that wind and solar projects in Alaska would receive some out-of-the-ordinary protection. But days later Trump signed an executive order that undermined these assurances. Chances are that we will hear more about Alaska in the future because its economic role in the world might change once more ice has melted”. - Mathias Risse
Once again, the GOP agenda is about money, not our environment.
Action Alert/Events
Legislative Action Committee Meeting on September 3 will meet at the Coburn Free Library in Owego, 5:15 - 6:45 pm.
The next TCDC meeting will be on Tuesday, September 22, the fourth Tuesday of September. We will have the required biennial election of TCDC officers and Town Chairs before the general meeting. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDERS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT DATE.
Be prepared to receive and write postcards by the second week in September, with a tentative deadline to return to TCDC by September 22.
If you are interested in joining the Leg Act Committee or want to submit something to our newsletter, send an email to TCDC at TIOGANYDEMS@GMAIL.COM or MARITA FLORINI at FNPMAF1@GMAIL.COM.
