Write a commentAcross the country, ICE and Border Patrol continue using tactics that should alarm anyone who believes in basic civil rights.
The assumption that Americans are automatically protected has always been a myth — and in Oswego County, that myth is collapsing in real time.
The killings in Minneapolis have forced the nation to confront how far this administration’s enforcement machinery has gone. These actions are no longer about immigration; they are about unchecked power.
Indivisible Oswego County has warned about this for a year. Their push for a No Collusion Resolution with the Sheriff’s Department rests on a simple principle: local law enforcement must serve this community, not act as an extension of federal agencies whose actions erode safety and trust. These concerns are not abstract. They affect neighbors, coworkers, and families who have lived here for decades. Yet the Republican majority in the County Legislature refuses to act.
At the latest Public Safety Committee meeting, Democratic legislators Lee Walker Jr. and Dorothy Caldwell introduced the No Collusion Resolution. Passing it would have allowed a full Legislature to vote at their Public Meeting on February 11th.
Ms. Caldwell made the stakes clear: the resolution would prevent unlawful collaboration between the Sheriff’s Department and ICE — the kind that led to the Cato raid last fall. The distinction is straightforward.
Two Republican legislators (Yeardon & Chesbro) openly opposed it. Ms. Chesbro later dismissed the targeted individuals in Minneapolis by saying that they are all criminals. Mr. Yerdon insisted that he would never change his mind- ever!
But the most revealing moment came when Mr. Bombardo responded, “I’m for ICE!” when asked for his vote. The resolution failed 4–3, with only one Republican (Ms. Lockwood) joining the two Democrats supporting the resolution.
For years, people have comforted themselves with the belief that “it can’t happen here.” That illusion is gone. It is happening here and denial only deepens the harm.
This moment demands informed, collective action. The upcoming Town Hall Forum offers a chance to understand what is happening, hear from candidates challenging Claudia Tenney, and learn how to support vulnerable neighbors. Knowledge is protection. Solidarity is power.
The Town Hall begins at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 14, at the Lake Ontario Convention Center, 26 E. 1st St., Oswego, NY. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
We cannot look away. We must stand up for the rule of law, the dignity of our neighbors, and the integrity of our community.
— Paul McKinney, Indivisible Oswego County
