By Chris O'Neil | trashmediagroup.com | Published 04/15/25
SACKETS HARBOR, NY — A protest that brought more than 1,000 demonstrators to the lakefront home of former acting ICE director Tom Homan has sparked a wider debate over immigration enforcement, the role of local media, and the blurred line between public protest and private harassment.
The protest followed a March 27 ICE operation at North Harbor Dairy Farm, during which a Guatemalan woman and her three children were detained. The arrest occurred during an investigation into another individual unrelated to the family. ICE later confirmed the family was transported to a residential detention facility in Texas and released on April 6.
In an April 14 interview with WWNY 7 News, Homan pushed back on what he called “false claims” circulating in the media and local community.
“None of that is true,” Homan said, addressing reports that ICE agents handcuffed the children. He shared a timeline of the family’s detention, including health screenings, a mental health evaluation (which the family declined), and Homeland Security interviews.
Homan also revealed that he has called for a federal investigation into the protest itself.
In the days following the operation, several local outlets amplified unverified claims made by school officials and protest organizers, including allegations that children were forcibly restrained.
Some critics argue that outlets like WWNY helped spread misinformation by reporting emotional reactions from school administrators,without confirming the underlying facts, giving them a larger platform for their disinformation. These claims were later contradicted by ICE’s official timeline and Homan’s statement.
“There’s a responsibility to get it right—especially in high-stakes cases involving children and immigration enforcement,” said a media ethics expert from Syracuse University.
The family has since returned to the North Country, where community members welcomed them back. Organizers say public pressure played a role in securing the release, though ICE maintains that the outcome was the result of routine legal procedures and shows no evidence the local protest had any influence.
The protest has become a flashpoint in an ongoing national debate over immigration policy, federal authority, and the power—and limits—of community action. As the federal review unfolds, Homan continues to stand by the agents involved. His message to the public was direct: “Base your opinion on fact,” he said. “That’s the only way we’re going to have a serious conversation about immigration enforcement in this country.”
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