Lake Placid church establishes safe space for immigrants fearing deportation threats

Adirondack residents hold ‘know your rights’ events to educate locals amid growing ICE presence

By David Escobar

Keela Grimmette had heard stories about increased immigration enforcement in communities across the North Country. But when she arrived at St. Agnes School one Friday afternoon in March to pick up her daughter, she was unprepared for what she saw.

“Teachers were crying. Kids were holding cupcakes,” she remembered. “And I quickly realized something was going on.”

A Venezuelan family in the Lake Placid school community had received word from the Department of Homeland Security: their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) had been revoked. Without it, they were expected to leave the United States voluntarily or risk being forcibly removed by immigration agents.

An ice storm delayed their flight over the weekend. By Monday, a federal judge had temporarily reinstated the family’s legal status, allowing them to remain in the country for the time being. But the experience left a lasting impression on Grimmette.

“That really keyed me in on [the fact that] there are people within our local community who are being impacted by this,” she said.

In the months that followed, Grimmette became a co-organizer of Lake Placid Immigrant Allies, a grassroots group formed in response to the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the region.

Since the Trump administration announced its immigration crackdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained hundreds of individuals throughout Upstate New York, including in the North Country. ICE agents have conducted targeted searches for undocumented residents on North Country farms, at local businesses and in residential areas.

Creating a ‘sanctuary space’ in the Adirondacks

In Lake Placid, Grimmette and fellow members of Lake Placid Immigrant Allies are working to respond with education, as well as a sanctuary. The group has collaborated with St. Eustace Episcopal Church, which recently approved a resolution to become a “sanctuary church.”

Such spaces, commonly found in churches or community centers, can designate parts of their buildings as private under property law. Because ICE agents are legally barred from entering private areas without a judicial warrant, these locations offer a measure of protection for immigrants in the event of a local ICE raid.

Reverend Ken Hitch, rector of St. Eustace, said the sanctuary designation serves both a symbolic and functional purpose.

“In part, it has the same effect as seeing a flag or a bumper sticker or a sign that says that ‘You are welcome here,’” Hitch said. “It has a practical side in being able to provide sanctuary space and private space when immigration enforcement is in the area and in the building.”

The church has posted signs marking the parish library and office as private areas. Hitch believes those markers make it clear that agents would need a warrant to search those rooms.

At a recent church meeting, some parishioners expressed concern that ICE activity had already created an atmosphere of fear, discouraging some immigrants from leaving their homes. Hitch said the sanctuary designation is one way to counter that feeling.

“I think that starts with safety,” said Hitch. “And that starts with a sense of community, where people feel safe to leave their apartments and homes, safe to go to their workplaces, safe to their houses of worship.”

Rights, readiness, and responsibility

Alongside the sanctuary effort, Hitch and Grimmette helped organize a “Know Your Rights” workshop at St. Eustace. The session was designed to inform community members about what to do if approached by an immigration officer, providing them with knowledge to help reduce panic and confusion during an ICE encounter.

One concern, Hitch said, is that many of the international students who come to Lake Placid each summer on temporary J-1 visas may not understand their rights under U.S. law during an encounter with ICE.

“The vast majority of those in the service industry are immigrant workers and those coming to visit,” Hitch said. “There is a lot of tourism, as we know, in Lake Placid and in the region, and international athletes coming here to compete.”

Lake Placid Mayor Art Devlin said foreign-born workers have been a bedrock of Lake Placid since the 1990s, playing a vital role in the local hospitality and tourism industries.

“The internationals that come and work in Lake Placid under the J-1 program have been an important part of our community,” he said. “We could not do it without them. And we are very glad that they are here.”

ICE and local authorities

Despite the increased reports of ICE agents across the North Country, local and state police forces generally do not assist with immigration enforcement. Lake Placid Police Chief Chuck Dobson said his department is not mandated to cooperate with ICE.

“What ICE is doing in and around the community is within their own jurisdiction,” Dobson said. “So at least in my experience, it is pretty rare that they would reach out to us anyway.”

Dobson added that ICE has conducted operations in Lake Placid without notifying local law enforcement. His department would only cooperate with the federal agency in the case of a criminal investigation.

Grimmette said the uncertainty about when or where federal agents might appear has only added to the anxiety that many immigrant families feel while trying to obtain their legal status.

“There are certain things outside of our control, but what is within our control is what we are going to do when that happens,” she said. “Are we going to show up? Are we going to put our physical bodies in the space to show ICE or other law enforcement officials that what they are doing is not okay—that we want to protect our local immigrant population?”

Grimmette believes that readiness, combined with the willingness of neighbors to stand up for each other, is the best defense against fear.

David Escobar is a Report for America corps member. He reports on diversity issues in the Adirondacks through a partnership between North Country Public Radio and Adirondack Explorer.