Traditional Irish music from the band The Piperventilators filled Fellowship Hall at Ithaca’s First Baptist Church on Dec. 1 for Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition’s (TCIRC) ‘dine and donate’ fundraiser.
The event raised $10,000 for TCIRC’s legal defense fund, which provides financial support for local defendants who need bond, bail or legal representation for their immigration cases.
During the event Jennifer Breen, a Faculty Fellow at Syracuse University College of Law, spoke about the importance of legal representation for immigrants who are detained. Beyond the cost of legal help, Breen explained that the average amount of bond that an immigrant is required to post before they are released is $7,500, and only about a third of immigrants are granted bond in the first place.
“In our area, the local detention center is Batavia and has one of the highest average bond rates in the country, of $10,000,” said Breen.
Jennifer Breen speaking on the importance of legal representation. (Photo by Emily Chavez)
Earlier this year, TCIRC’s legal fund helped a local immigrant who was a worker from Ithaca’s Taste of Thai restaurant. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him while he was at the restaurant because he allegedly did not have a proper work permit.
Since he feels that he’s still vulnerable to immigration authorities, Art asked that his last name not be used in this story. He originally planned to speak at the fundraiser but he reluctantly withdrew because of those fears.
Instead, Natsinee McClelland, Art’s friend, read a statement written by him instead.
Art explained how helpless he felt when he was inside the detention center. He wrote that he had no support and because of the language barrier he had no one to talk to. However, with TCIRC’s Rapid Response Network he was able to receive assistance.
“They raised the fund to pay for my bond and lawyer. Most importantly, when I was released, they continued to support me in the search for a proper lawyer in my asylum seeking, coordination, documentation, translation and preparation for the court hearings,” wrote Art.
Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition fundraiser poster. (Photo by Emily Chavez)
At the fundraiser, people were encouraged to donate and participate in a silent auction that included items gifted by locally owned business, local artists and community volunteers.
The fundraiser was co-sponsered by the Ithaca Sanctuary Alliance (ISA), which provides a safe space for people who have to flee their country and are in need of protection from ICE. Kristen Brennan, of ISA, volunteered to help prepare the silent auction. She was thrilled with the amount of support from the community.
“I was overwhelmed with their generosity, they gave much more than I asked for initially,” said Brennan.
Throughout the night members from TCIRC and ISA gave brief presentations on programs in Ithaca that can help immigrants in the community.
“Immigration is one of the single most complicated areas of law and it has such dire consequences for people when things go badly in immigration,” Breen said. “This is not like a traffic ticket where you don’t have a lawyer with you. If things go badly you can be deported to a country you haven’t live in for 20 years and that is totally not your home.”
Art is originally from Thailand and has no family in the area, and his only friends are his co-workers from the restaurant.
“I am very grateful for the fund raised to support me. I can have a sort of peaceful mind, knowing that I can continue to live here. Although I am still going through the process of court proceedings, I am relieved to know that this support exists. I have courage to continue my struggle,” said Art.
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