A crowd gathers at the Essex County courthouse Sunday, April 13 for a vigil held by the Adirondack Friends of Refugees and Immigrants. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Approximately 100 people gathered in front of the Essex County courthouse in Elizabethtown on Palm Sunday, April 13, to protest the way immigrants, refugees and others are being treated in our country by the current administration in the White House, and by many members of the general public.

The vigil was organized by the Adirondack Friends of Refugees and Immigrants, a Keene Valley Congregational Church ministry.

“We are sponsoring a vigil in E’town in support of the immigrants and refugees, not just here within our town, not just in our region, but across our nation,” said the Rev. John Sampson to the church’s congregation that morning. “I think all of you have seen what’s going on in our nation, how immigrants and refugees have been demonized and dehumanized. This is our opportunity to stand up and present a different kind of narrative, to uphold these people who are not just workers, not just faceless people. They are our friends. They are our neighbors.”

“It is so apropos that on this Palm Sunday members of our congregation will go to E’town with signs that reflect the values we are holding up against a moment in this nation’s history when we are crying, hosanna, save us from this,” said Rev. Sampson. “In this vigil, we are saying we don’t support the greed, naked power grabs, desecration of our neighbors or the forgetting of those who are least in our communities and our nation. We uphold a different vision of who we can be as a people.”

Rev. Sampson urged people not to demonize anyone who may hold a different view, to remember we are all God’s children, to love one another, to welcome strangers and to treat others as we wish to be treated.

Leslie Shipps, Peter Slocum and Laura Newmark attend the Adirondack Friends of Refugees and Immigrants vigil in Elizabethtown on Sunday, April 13. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

The reality is that outside of Native Americans, all Americans are immigrants or descendants of immigrants and refugees, though many were brought here in bondage. Many came seeking a better life and fleeing violence, corruption and environmental or social catastrophes.

Yes, no question. We need to secure our borders and have a method of identifying those we wish to welcome and separating those who wish to do harm. At the same time, data collected by the Texas Department of Safety shows that undocumented immigrants are arrested for drug and violent crimes at half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens and a quarter of the rate for property crimes. The reality is that immigrants take on jobs that most Americans are unwilling to do, whether it’s picking fruits and vegetables, working in meat processing plants, on dairy farms, as janitors, and so on. In doing so, “They pay more into the system than they take out,” according to the Center for American Progress.

Our region is filled with stellar examples of immigrants’ contributions, such as the Swiss immigrant Gus Lussi, who played a critical role in developing Lake Placid as the national center for figure skating and whose children and grandchildren have not only been leaders in the hospitality industry but in giving back to the community by donating land for affordable housing for many.

Winnie and Stefy Holderied, who immigrated from Germany after World War II, have created one of the leading hotels in the community, the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort on Main Street, which their children now lead. They also serve or have served in local leadership positions on the village, Olympic Regional Development Authority, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism and Lake Placid Center for the Arts boards, among others. Again, they have given back to the community in many ways, including, like the Lussis, creating many good-paying jobs.

Underscoring the importance of immigrants to our community, Ed Weibrecht, owner of the Mirror Lake Inn, wrote in his March 18 USA Today column, “Immigrants are the Heart of Local Economies,” that “Our employees include immigrants: They are family. Over the decades, we have learned an enduring truth: Immigrants are the lifeblood of our local economy and culture. Today, more than 20% of our staff are immigrants, many of whom hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) visas.”

Steve Erman and Margot Gold attend the Adirondack Friends of Refugees and Immigrants vigil at the Essex County Government Center in Elizabethtown on Sunday, April 13. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Weibrecht went on to write, “America is grappling with labor shortages. We need immigrants. We are already grappling with labor shortages across nearly every sector: at inns like ours, farms, hospitals and schools.”

In Elizabethtown, attendees and speakers voiced their objections over the harsh treatment and false narratives of immigrants.

“Our leaders are doing everything that Jesus Christ told us not to do in the way we treat our fellow human beings,” said Dick Perez. “The fear and diversion is being put out by those who believe might is right as their sole means of retaining power. Let’s take the blinders off. Let’s start believing in what we are seeing. Let’s look at the truth that’s being hidden in plain sight, and say, this is not right.”

“I’m really shocked by how dispassionate and unkind people can be; how people can be torn away from their families,” said Marietta Brady. “It breaks my heart every time I hear about people who can no longer hug their families. I am very thankful for people who came here today; people who are willing to be kind.”

“The very beginning of the Bible tells us a very important lesson: we all come from a single seed,” said the Rev. Lauren McArthur. “A single seed is a part of all humanity, no matter where they live now. We come from immigrants. Jesus himself was a refugee.”

“My faith calls me to care for immigrants and refugees,” said Bobbi Perez. “I couldn’t see or profess myself to be a Christian without standing up for my brothers and sisters who are not being treated as well as I have been because I was born in this country. People who are trying to come here who were mistreated in their country should at least be treated humanely, valued, and know that we are concerned. Historically, we were known for being welcoming; we have a Statute of Liberty in our harbor that welcomes those who need our protection. I feel that if I am going to be legitimate in my faith, I had to live what I believe. I have to reach out and live my life as God told me to do. I feel that the Holy Spirit is with us today.”

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)