ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — About 100 protesters rallied outside the New York State Capitol on Presidents’ Day, calling for changes they say are needed on issues ranging from the Epstein report to immigration enforcement.
Several college students attended the protest, including RPI student Gwenyth Snyder, founder of the RPI Teacup Club, who is urging her classmates to educate themselves about what is happening across the country.
“I think there’s obviously an importance of showing your voice and making it known that you do not agree with what’s going on,” Snyder said.
Snyder said college students should not treat what is happening in Washington as normal and should take action in their communities.
“Showing up to protests, to other actions in your community, to supporting and building your community — those things are important to make sure that those things are not accepted as normal and that you push back and build,” she said.
The protest came after the Department of Homeland Security shut down on Saturday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CBS News that Democrats are calling for legislative changes, including requiring ICE agents to be unmasked and wear body cameras.
“These are common-sense things. For instance, judicial warrants should be required before ICE agents can storm private property or rip everyday Americans out of their homes,” Jeffries said.
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White House border czar Tom Homan said the DHS freeze would not disrupt immigration operations because of $165 billion in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“ICE has continued to enforce laws across the country. They’re already funded now. The ICE officers won’t be getting paid, but they’re getting used to that, it seems like. So no, the immigration mission, the reason why President Trump was elected to be president, continues,” Homan said.
No Kings Albany co-leader Bryan Paz-Hernandez called the shutdown a good step toward reforming ICE but said legislation alone will not address what he sees as underlying problems.
“We don’t want them to reform ICE or tweak it; we want to completely abolish it, so no more funding for ICE,” Paz-Hernandez said.
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Paz-Hernandez said the No Kings coalition is preparing for its third mass mobilization on Saturday, March 28. He said the protest will be held at West Capitol Park, the same location as the Presidents Day rally.