When the Ulster County Executive says she “stands with Minneapolis,” what she does not say matters just as much as what she does.
She does not say she stands with the law.
She does not say she stands with victims of crime.
And she does not say she stands with the families whose lives have been permanently changed by violent acts committed by individuals who were never supposed to be here in the first place.
That silence isn’t accidental — and it isn’t leadership.
Public officials swear an oath to uphold the law, not to selectively respect it when it becomes politically inconvenient. Immigration law is federal law. It was passed by Congress, upheld by the courts, and enforced by duly authorized federal agencies. Disagreement with enforcement tactics does not erase the law itself. Standing against enforcement without acknowledging that reality sends a dangerous message: that the rule of law is optional.
Even more troubling is what her statement ignores — the victims.
There are Americans, including New Yorkers, who have been raped, assaulted, robbed, and killed by individuals who entered or remained in this country illegally. Their families don’t get slogans or solidarity statements. They get funerals, courtrooms, and a lifetime of loss. When a public official speaks forcefully against enforcement but remains silent about those victims, it sounds less like compassion and more like indifference.
Standing with victims does not require cruelty.
Standing with the law does not require dehumanization.
But refusing to stand with either is a choice — and it is a political one.
If the concern is accountability, then say so clearly. Demand lawful enforcement and constitutional conduct. Support humane treatment and public safety. Condemn abuse and criminal violence. Leaders are capable of holding more than one truth at the same time.
But political signaling is not justice.
Silence about victims is not neutrality.
Leadership requires moral clarity.
Right now, that clarity is missing.
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The Valley Viewpoint 