The recent detention of two Rochester restaurant workers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials represents a direct assault on our community's values and basic human rights.
These arrests are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic campaign to criminalize and terrorize our neighbors. While the Trump Administration cynically labels immigrants as "criminals," trans youth as victims of "extremism," and equity efforts as "radical," our daily reality in our community tells a different story. Walk through our leading hospitals, where immigrant healthcare providers form the cornerstone of our world-class medical system. Visit our elementary schools, where children of all backgrounds and identities thrive together. Step into restaurant kitchens, where hardworking staff form the backbone of our local economy.
These targeted members of our community aren't just statistics – they're our colleagues, our children's teachers, our essential workers. They represent the best of American values. Yet they now face an administration determined to strip away their dignity and security through aggressive enforcement and discriminatory policies.
The persecution of our neighbors is persecution of us all. When we stay silent while families are torn apart and workers are detained, we betray our values and weaken our democracy. Excluding others has never made our country stronger.
The time for passive concern is over. We must act now to protect our communities from those who threaten to tear it apart in the name of fear and division. History will judge us not by our words of sympathy, but by our actions in this crucial moment.