Community members in Mahopac, New York are defending a local school board member who is employed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Mahopac Falls Elementary School auditorium was filled with local residents Thursday for the Board of Education meeting. Some were there to call for the removal of one school board trustee, Chris Harrigan, who also works for ICE, specifically Enforcement and Removal Operations.
But most of those turned out to defend Harrigan. As the Trump administration's aggressive crackdown on immigration continues across the country, local resident Marie Frankel said she thinks the Democratic Party is behind community pushback on Harrigan's employment with ICE.
“Your behavior is appalling, placing images of him on a website saying ICE is evil. It's a threat to our board member and his family. These images should be removed. Perhaps we should place your photos on a website showing your support for illegal aliens over citizens.”
While most of the crowd cheered for Harrigan, others wanted him removed from the school board. Ixmucane Pereira, a Carmel resident, first addressed the board in Spanish.
“Uno de esos miembros de la mesa directiva delante de mi se llevó gente, se llevó padres, se llevó hermanos,” which translates to: A member of board of directors here took people, took parents, took siblings.
Pereira said she's opposed to a school board member having access to students' personal information. She tells WAMC she once saw Harrigan with ICE over the summer.
“In the middle of August, a mom called me and she said, there is ICE outside. There is a lot of strange people outside, so I ran. They were looking for someone, a young man. There was 17 people. There were 11 cars surrounding two workers. That was my first encounter with Chris Harrigan.”
When asked by WAMC if she recognized him she responded, “Definitely. Everytime. Many parents told me, he is the man who is in charge of the [ICE] crew in Putnam County.”
Photos and videos on Facebook show Harrigan in an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations vest. One video appears to show Harrigan detaining a man outside of the Brewster police station.
Pereira said she is looking for the son of a man detained by ICE.
“Felipe was taken on Sunday morning. His son is young and just arrived in a refugee program. Felipe was the only other person that he knew. And that man [Harrigan] took him away, and now we don't know where this young man disappeared to. I need you to help me to find him.”
The residents who defended Harrigan did not deny he worked for ICE. Instead, they said it was no one else’s business what a man does for work. That’s what local resident Kate Bellatoni told the school board.
“The trustee has a job. He has a boss. He pays the same high taxes we all do. He needs to support his family. Therefore, he needs to work. This renewed call for his resignation, again, led by the Democratic chair, is irresponsible, it's dangerous, and frankly, it's absurd. However, I am proud to stand by this trustee, and I know a majority of Mahopacans do too.”
School board member, Tanner McCracken, also spoke in support of Harrigan. He said he thinks his colleague is doing good work and that the residents of Mahopac support him.
“He's a good man. And what he does for his job is to keep our community safe. We've gotten coffee through the years. We’ve talked. What he does, a lot of folks wouldn't do that type of work. But he does it to keep us safe. Obviously there were people here protesting him, asking him to resign. I have gone public and said that I believe it is ridiculous to ask a board member to resign their position because of their job occupation. It's ridiculous.”
The Board stated they did not plan to remove Harrigan. School board president Michael Mongon spoke to the audience.
“Trustee Harrigan’s employment does not disqualify him under NY State Law from serving as a duly elected member of this board of education. This board of Education stands united behind Trustee Chris Harrigan.”
As Harrigan left the meeting, he said he will not step down.
“I'm not resigning.”
