Around 30 people protested in support of immigration rights on April 8 at the five-point intersection in Oswego, New York.

Some signs held by the protesters read “Hate will not make us great,” “Everyone is welcome here” and “We the people means everyone.”

President Donald Trump has signed many executive orders since his inauguration to minimize illegal immigration and continue his plan to carry out mass deportations. These orders overturned previous policies that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from carrying out enforcement operations in “sensitive areas” like schools and places of worship.

In response, communities all over the United States have rallied to defend immigrant rights.

One of the orders signed by Trump is Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” signed on Jan. 20, his first day back in office. The order introduced strict new immigration policies in the U.S.

It expanded the use of fast-track deportations, increased penalties for migrants and pushed local police to enforce federal immigration laws. The order also cut federal funding to sanctuary cities and limited access to public benefits for migrants

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), protests for immigration rights were outnumbered last month by a factor of more than 30-1. The protests have spiked in the past year, making up 27% of total reported events. This is an increase from just 3% for all of 2024.

Erin Fiorini, a volunteer with the Workers Center of Central New York (WCCNY) and the Syracuse Immigrant Refugee Defense Network (SIRDN), said she personally knows many of the families that have been affected and the people that have been taken. 

“I was getting calls and finding out about things. It was a little bit at first and then it was a lot,” Fiorini said. “We know that the police are working with Border Control, following these guys for a while and pulling them over for minor things. They will take their license and registration, call Border Patrol and tell them they have to serve time for their crime, after which they are taken to the ICE detention center.”

Fiorini said they have lost about 18 people.

“One dad was taken back to Honduras and has been there since the end of January,” Fiorini said. “He was taking his kids to school and got into a minor fender bender. They called the police and Border Patrol came and got him.”

Jamal Akin-Tukur, the Reservations Coordinator for the International Students Association at SUNY Oswego, says he was unaware of the rally held in Oswego.

“A lot of the time, when I hear people speak on laws concerning international students, it is bad news for us, so I try not to be too involved in stuff like that.” Akin-Tukur said.

“I think someone should speak for us; to my knowledge, we no longer have the privilege of doing so ourselves,” he said. “But I do think it should happen peacefully, we did not leave our countries to cause problems for another one.”

Rowan Deshaies, a protestor at the rally, says the deportation of immigrants has gone too far.

“No one should be taken from their home and from their families,” Deshaies said. “So many immigrants are in the system, but are still getting taken. It is unfair and inhumane.”

Image by Tara Nasiadka