Reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Kingston last week prompted parents and organizations like Ulster Immigrant Defense Network (UIDN) and Ulster Rapid Response (URR) alike to seek assurances during a meeting of the Kingston City School District Board of Education that students would be kept safe.
Daniel Woodham is a part-time farmer and part-time caseworker with UIDN, an organization that aids with everything from legal support to household needs. Woodham said he felt compelled to speak on behalf of those who might feel too frightened to speak for themselves.
“I’m coming to represent the voice of people that aren’t here,” Woodham said, “The people that aren’t here are people that fear for their safety right now… And during times like this, we have seen families keep their kids from going to school. Because imagine your kids go to school and you don’t see them again. Imagine the child comes home from school and mom or dad is not there. Can you put yourself in that place and think about it? These are the things that I need your leadership to know, so that I can tell people that are asking me, can I send my kids to school today? This is the place we are at right now in our nation and in our school district.”
In January of this year, in the wake of new federal immigration policies, DEI pushback, and the demonization of the LGBTQ+ community under the incoming Donald Trump presidential administration, local school districts like Kingston aligned with New York State in affirming the rights and protections of its students and staff.
In a January 30 message to the KCSD community, superintendent Paul Padalino wrote of the importance of an equitable and welcoming learning atmosphere for all its students.
“Every child deserves to learn in an environment where they feel safe, valued, welcomed and respected,” he said. “At the Kingston City School District, providing such an environment is not just a priority — it is our duty as educators. We understand that recent changes in federal policy have caused concern and uncertainty for many in our community. I want to reassure our students and families that these new policies do not change our unwavering commitment to ensuring the well-being of all students. Our Board of Education, administrators, faculty and staff remain steadfast in their dedication to the students in our care.”
“I’m here to request that that letter becomes something real now,” said Marielle Peery. “It’s a harrowing time for families” because of the fear of ICE raids. Two national labor unions representing educators and school employees agreed, with the National Education Association and the American Federation for Teachers filed a lawsuit last week against the Trump Administration for arrests near school campuses.
Former KCSD and current homeschooling teacher Leslie Gallagher joined in the plea for a tangible resolution by the KCSD.
“We have expectations of parents,” she said. “We expect them to provide them with clothing, food, and skills for success in their child’s daily living. We also expect them to provide a safe shelter. In turn, they expect us to offer an education in a safe environment. Attendance will continue to decline as the fear grows. That is why it is essential to adopt policies that all are aware of, that all students and their families are aware of, that all staff are aware of.”
Like Woodham, Gallagher is also a member of UIDN.
“I’ve seen the fear,” she said. “I witnessed three girls on a corner waiting for the school bus, and while they were waiting, a black SUV slowed down and strolled past them. The fear on the faces was palpable. I think we need to act now.”
Padalino said he welcomed the support of organizations like UIDN and URR, as well as Family of Woodstock.
“We hope to continue to work together around this topic as far as the school district is concerned,” he said. “Our goal is to keep our students safe.”
Padalino said that the only way students are accessible on campus or on school buses is by parental consent or a judicial warrant.
“Our administrators, our security guards, our school resource officers are all trained in that,” he said. “They know exactly what they need to do. We will not release our students. We will protect our students. If ICE shows up we have set steps that we take in our schools. But as was said here at the podium we can’t do that alone.”
But Padalino said the district doesn’t have the resources to spread those protections further.
“There are parts of the district where our students are that we don’t have the capacity to protect them,” he said. “We have a thousand students who walk to and from school every day. But working together with all of you we can really strive to make sure those students are safe.”
While the school board did not vote on a resolution, they did share in the concerns of the several speakers and discussed forming a citizen advisory committee.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Marc Rider. “I just think we need to gauge interest, especially from those parents who are feeling under threat right now because it would be a shame not to have them.”
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