Organizers plan a rally Saturday afternoon in Cortland to protest federal immigration enforcement and support immigrant residents in Central New York.
The "ICE Out of Cortland" rally begins Saturday afternoon at Courthouse Park, 33 Church Street.
The event is co-sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America-Ithaca, Finger Lakes Rapid Response Network and the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Upstate New York.
In announcing the event, organizers said they have received more reports of immigration enforcement activity across Upstate New York, including a confirmed report in Cortland several weeks ago. The release did not provide details about that incident.
Organizers also cited reports of enforcement activity in Broome and Cayuga counties and Syracuse. They said residents have responded by warning relatives, friends and businesses when agents are reported nearby.
Finger Lakes Rapid Response member Kady Leonard Nawrocki said organizers want residents to stand with immigrant neighbors and oppose enforcement actions that separate families. The group described the Cortland event as part of a broader effort involving communities across the region.
The rally announcement criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies and called for an end to arrests and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The claims and characterizations in the release reflect the organizers' position.
No counterdemonstration or formal response from federal immigration officials was included in the announcement.
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