Central NY Protesters Hold Anti-ICE Caravan Demonstration in DeWitt

Demonstrators call for state lawmakers to pass the 'New York For All Act' to limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 1:15pm

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About 70 cars joined a caravan-style protest on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt, New York on Saturday to demonstrate against federal immigration enforcement in Central New York. The demonstration was organized by the Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Network and intentionally took place near a Home Depot where an ICE detention had recently occurred. Protesters called for state lawmakers to pass the 'New York For All Act' to prohibit state resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement.

Why it matters

The protest highlights growing tensions between immigrant advocates and federal immigration authorities in Central New York, as well as debates over the role of local law enforcement in immigration enforcement. The demonstration is part of a broader movement calling for more protections for immigrant communities in the state.

The details

The caravan protest started at the vacant ShoppingTown mall and drove back and forth on Erie Boulevard between Thompson Road and East Genesee Street, intentionally passing by the DeWitt Home Depot where an ICE detention had recently taken place. Organizers said Home Depot is 'complicit' in allowing ICE to conduct operations on their property. Protesters decorated their vehicles with signs and balloons, and encouraged state lawmakers to pass the 'New York For All Act' which would limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

  • The protest began around 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
  • An ICE detention took place at the DeWitt Home Depot on January 22, 2026.

The players

Christine Herb

An organizer with the Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Network who helped coordinate the protest.

Bill Collins

An 81-year-old retired educator who has been attending protests against the federal government since the Kent State shootings in 1970.

Jose Criollo and Adrian Ramirez

Two immigrants from the All-Saints Church in Syracuse who were detained by ICE and are currently in detention in Batavia.

Angel Belford

A U.S. Army veteran who believes the current immigration policies of the federal government do not represent what she fought for when she joined the military.

Kathy Hochul

The Governor of New York who recently announced the 'Local Cops, Local Crimes Act' which would limit local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, but does not go as far as the 'New York For All Act' that protesters are calling for.

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What they’re saying

“It turns your stomach.”

— Bill Collins, Retired educator

“They keep telling us that they're sending the worst of the worst out, and you've got five-year-olds, and you've got the guy that made soap, that had to leave the country.”

— Barb Bachman

“I do not believe that this is the country that I fought for. This is not the way that the country should be run, and this is not the democracy that I went to war twice for.”

— Angel Belford, U.S. Army veteran

What’s next

The New York State Legislature is expected to take up the 'New York For All Act' in the coming legislative session, which could provide more protections for immigrant communities in the state.

The takeaway

This protest reflects the ongoing tensions and debates around immigration enforcement in New York, with advocates pushing for more comprehensive state-level policies to limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.