New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the release of a detained Sackets Harbor family, including three children and their mother, following intervention with federal immigration authorities. After speaking with White House Border Czar Tom Homan, Hochul confirmed the family is en route back to Jefferson County. She expressed deep concern over the emotional toll on the children and thanked Assemblyman Scott Gray and the Sackets Harbor community for their advocacy. Hochul reaffirmed the state’s stance on cooperating with ICE to target violent criminals, but strongly opposed actions that separate families and disrupt children’s lives.
Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul
“When a Sackets Harbor family was detained by ICE last month, I called on ICE to provide answers immediately and spoke with White House Border Czar Tom Homan to call for their release. Moments ago, I spoke once again with Mr. Homan who informed me that this family – a third grader, two teenagers and their mother – are currently on their way back to Jefferson County. I cannot imagine the trauma these kids and their mom are feeling, and I pray they will be able to heal when they return home.
“I also spoke with Assemblyman Scott Gray, who has played a critical role in this process advocating for his constituents. I want to thank him and the entire Sackets Harbor community who rallied to support their neighbors.
“New York has been consistent: we are open to working with federal immigration enforcement to crack down on gang members or violent criminals. But I will never support cruel actions that rip kids out of school or tear families apart.”
April 7, 2025
Albany, NY
Sources: NY.gov , Midtown Tribune
Big New York news BigNY.com
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#ImmigrationReform #KathyHochul #ICE #FamilyReunification #NewYorkNews #WSJstyle #JeffersonCounty #SacketsHarbor #ImmigrationPolicy #HumanRights
The family was detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on March 27, 2025, at North Harbor Dairy Farm in Jefferson County, New York. The operation was part of a federal investigation into child pornography targeting a South African man accused of distribution-related crimes. Despite the investigation not being directly related to the family, they were swept up in the raid and taken into custody[1][3][4].
The mother and her three children were actively navigating legal immigration processes, including attending court hearings and check-ins. However, ICE agents detained them during the raid and subsequently transported them over 1,800 miles to a detention center in Texas[2][4]. Critics, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and immigrant advocacy groups, condemned the detainment as unjustified and cruel, emphasizing that the family had been complying with immigration requirements[4][5].
Citations:
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/protesters-small-new-york-village-march-trump-border-czars-home-family-rcna199867
[2] https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2025/04/detained-north-country-family-returning-home/
[3] https://www.yahoo.com/news/source-ice-detained-family-returning-190042389.html
[4] https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2025/04/07/hochul-immigration-crisis-jefferson-county-ice/
[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mother-three-children-arrested-ice-sackets-harbor-released-rcna200073
[6] https://apnews.com/article/homan-ice-sackets-harbor-children-detained-acdf67107330d5548cc8fefb80b47da9
[7] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/nyregion/ice-family-detained-new-york.html
[8] https://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/kathy-hochul-tom-homan-ice-mother-detained-kkts24qh
[9] https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/51511/20250331/sackets-harbor-community-calls-for-return-of-three-children-taken-during-ice-dairy-farm-visit
[10] https://www.newsweek.com/third-grade-student-ice-protest-immigration-2056141
[11] https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/51544/20250406/nearly-1-000-people-rally-in-sackets-harbor-calling-for-return-of-detained-children
[12] https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/51550/20250407/sackets-harbor-family-detained-by-ice-is-returning-home-to-the-north-country
[13] https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/sackets-harbor-mother-and-three-children-detained-in-texas-heading-home