By: Bella Varghese
On Friday, January 23rd, New York’s Capitol Building was met with over a hundred protesters. In the freezing weather, Upstate residents gathered to collectively denounce the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Capital Region and across the nation.
Later that evening, the protesters walked over to the Downtown Albany Hilton to protest the ICE agents who were allegedly housed there. Similar protests were held at Manhattan Hiltons as well. On the contrary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused a Minnesota Hilton of cancelling any reservations for immigration law enforcement officials earlier this January.
All across America, ICE’s presence and power are rapidly expanding. In a recently revealed DHS memo, ICE agents were given permission to enter people’s homes without judicial warrants, directly contradicting the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment. Many protesters were there to pay tribute to Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident who was shot and killed by ICE agents on January 7th. Others, like Helen Farrell, were there to show support for friends recently taken by ICE.
“I can’t sit by and stay home,” Farrell said. “We have history to show what happens when people don’t get involved.”
The protest, organized by Indivisible’s Albany division, featured multiple speakers, including U.S. Representative Paul Tonko, Albany County Young Democrats President Manik Elahi, New York State Senator Patricia Fahy, and Leyla Kiosse, the Operational Lead for Indivisible Albany.
“Fuck that shit…this moment is too damn important,” Elahi said, expressing his passionate stance against ICE at the protest.
“We know why we’re here,” Kiosse said in her speech. “We’re here because of what has happened to a student, and all of the other families that are suffering in our region at the hands of these thugs.”
Kiosse, who previously lived in Minnesota, is a small-business owner and a human rights activist.
“Yes, defund ICE, but really abolish ICE,” Kiosse said. “You cannot rehabilitate those assholes. There is no denotation for them.”
Though there was an overwhelming sense of agreement amongst the crowd members, such a goal is easier said than done.
The overarching sentiment at the rally was strong disapproval of the current government—a sentiment shared by high schoolers and older generations alike. Protesters raised signs shaming the recent actions of ICE and upside-down American flags, expressing their dissatisfaction with the current administration. The chant, “No justice! No Peace! We want ICE off our streets,” echoed across the crowd.
Protesters raising an upside down American Flag. Courtesy of Cordelia Lauber. 
A woman with a “Stop ICE cruelty and lawlessness” sign. Courtesy of Cordelia Lauber. 
A sign insinuating President Trump is Vladimir Putin’s “Pet Pedo.” Courtesy of Cordelia Lauber. 
Joe H. with a “Fire ICE” sign and “Immigrants make America great” sign. Courtesy of Cordelia Lauber.
“I’m heartbroken, “ Farrell said. “I know of two people from Albany. They went to their appointment to check in. They were taken. Their kid was taken out of school.”
One protester, who for privacy reasons will be referred to as C, does not think the presence of ICE has truly changed American culture. “This is an issue that’s been, in my opinion, deeply rooted in this country,” he said. “I think a lot of Americans are waking up to the brutality that black and brown people face every day. I think that’s good, but we’ve got a long way to go until this issue is actually fixed.”
Among the protestors were high school and college students. One college student, who for privacy reasons requested to remain anonymous, said he’s “protesting ICE directly.” The Capital Region receives many international students every year, whether they are high school students attending the Emma Willard School, participating in other high school exchange programs, or enrolled at one of the many universities in the area.
“I walk around campus…I see all sorts of immigrants, people from other countries and other cultures…they’re scared,” the college student said. “I’ve talked to some of them…even though they followed the legal processes, we all know legality is not in question.”
Many of his classmates are afraid of being in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” The students, regardless of legality, are at risk of being racially profiled by ICE agents as permitted by the Supreme Court ruling in Noem v. Perdomo.
“If you wouldn’t want it to happen to you,” another Capital Region student, Aiyanna Dukes, said, “don’t kidnap people. It’s terrible.” Dukes attended the protest alongside her friends.
“History doesn’t always repeat exactly, but it does rhyme,” the college student said. “We are seeing those trends follow today…For democratic lawmakers: stop trying to negotiate with fascists…you don’t negotiate with fascists.”
Sources
“DHS Scores Major Victory at Supreme Court.” Homeland Security, 8 September 2025, https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/08/dhs-scores-major-victory-supreme-court. Accessed 26 January 2026.
“Empowering Young Leaders | Albany County Young Democrats.” Albany County Young Democrats, https://albanycoyoungdems.com/about. Accessed 26 January 2026.
Florido, Adrian, and Ayesha Rascoe. “Internal DHS memo says ICE agents can enter homes without a judicial warrant.” npr, 25 January 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/01/25/nx-s1-5685400/internal-dhs-memo-says-ice-agents-can-enter-homes-without-a-judicial-warrant.
Garcia, Armando. “Dept. of Homeland Security accuses hotel of canceling reservations for immigration agents.” ABC News, 6 January 2026, https://abcnews.com/US/dept-homeland-security-accuses-hotel-canceling-reservations-immigration/story?id=128926762. Accessed 11 February 2026.
“How the Supreme Court’s Latest Decision Clears the Way for Racial Profiling During Immigration Raids.” American Immigration Council, 9 September 2025, https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/supreme-courts-decision-racial-profiling-immigration-raids/. Accessed 26 January 2026.
“ICE protest at NYC Hilton, 66 taken into custody – NBC New York.” NBC New York, 28 January 2026, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/protest-ice-hilton-garden-inn-nyc/6451186/. Accessed 11 February 2026.
Indivisible Albany. “About.” indivisiblealbany, https://www.indivisiblealbany.org/about.
Indivisible Albany. “ICE Out of Albany!” indivisiblealbany, https://www.indivisiblealbany.org/event-collection/ice-out-of-albany-1.
Leingang, Rachel. “Indivisible: the mass movement leading the progressive fight against Trump.” The Guardian, 25 May 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/25/indivisible-donald-trump-progressive-movement. Accessed 26 January 2026.
“Our Leadership.” Indivisible, https://indivisible.org/about/our-leadership/. Accessed 26 January 2026.
Savage, Charlie. “The Supreme Court Decision on ICE and Racial Profiling, Explained.” The New York Times, 8 September 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/us/politics/supreme-court-immigration-racial-profiling.html. Accessed 26 January 2026.
“25A169 Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo (09/08/2025).” Supreme Court, 8 September 2025, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/25a169_5h25.pdf. Accessed 3 February 2026.