NYCLU Rep. Talks New York and Civil Liberties in Mahopac
Since President Donald Trump has taken office, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have sparred with the Republican firebrand.
Last week, the Putnam Democratic Committee hosted a representative from the New York Civil Liberties Union (the state affiliate of the ACLU) to the Mahopac Library to discuss protecting civil rights in the era of Trump. While Trump was mentioned, the focus turned out to be how New York, a predominately blue state, was lacking in some civil rights areas.
Before the NYCLU’s Shannon Wong spoke, Putnam Democratic Committee chairman Jim Borkowski discussed how Jan. 28 of this year would long be remembered as a pivotal moment for civil rights. When Trump tried to institute a travel ban on people coming in from seven different Muslim majority countries, the judicial courts ruled it unconstitutional after they heard arguments from ACLU attorneys.
“Someone had to stand up to President Trump,” Borkowski said. “They stood up for the civil liberties of all of us.”
Borkowski went on to argue how Americans are living in dangerous times and their civil liberties are at risk. But after the American Health Care Act failed to gain traction last month, he stressed Democrats and progressives can stop Trump.
“We can win this,” Borkowski, a former Republican, said.
Wong, during her hour-long remarks, discussed a wide array of services and programs the NYCLU spearheads. While the ACLU handles many federal policies and practices, the NYCLU concerns itself with state and local issues. For instance, Wong recalled when an NYCLU chapter objected to an IT policy Putnam County wanted to impose on its employees from two years ago. That policy ultimately fell bythewayside.
Wong said one initiative the organization is working on is ensuring that New York human rights laws are extended to protect public school students from human right violations. Right now, public education students are not included, and Wong noted the NYCLU wants that changed because of the uptick of hate crimes and incidents across the state.
She noted the school board association actually objects to changing the law because local schools fear liability.
She also noted the NYCLU’s push to have towns and counties become sanctuary municipalities for illegal immigrants. She said the organization wants to see local governments not honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and not give ICE agents office space or resources at a local level.
Wong said there is a rumor that ICE agents attend Town of Southeast Justice Court trying to pick undocumented immigrants up after hearings. Southeast Councilwoman Lynne Eckardt, a Democrat, said she hasn’t heard of any instances, but would look into it.
In order to better protect abortion rights, the NYCLU wants a provision included in the state constitution that stipulates a late term abortion is acceptable if the health of the mother is in danger or if the baby’s fetus is not viable, Wong said. Right now, the mother’s life is only considered, she said.
Finally, Wong went into the New York legal system. She was disappointed Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation that would have shifted indigent legal services costs from counties to the state. The NYCLU is also demanding more accountability from police departments, including more information about how many people die in the course of an arrest, Wong said.
“People thought New York was a much more progressive place than it is,” Wong said.
Some residents on hand, including many who are part of the county or a town Democratic committee, spoke out during question and answer portion on the evening. One local resident noted it was important for schools to strengthen their human rights rules because her son has been subjected to anti-Semitic verbal abuse at school.
Bob Ferguson, a Mahopac resident and Carmel Democratic Committee member, argued the Village of Brewster and county are trying to gentrify the village with its revitalization plan to get Latinos out of Brewster. He said while Latinos in the area work hard for a good life, too many people in the county are prejudiced against them.
“This county is out of control with their spending and ideas,” Ferguson said. Since Trump became president, Wong said people across the state and in the Lower Hudson Valley have become more involved with hundreds of local residents volunteering.
“We are in the fight of our lives and we’re ready,” she said.
