For Immediate Release

October 29, 2025

"The appalling practice by ICE agents of detaining immigrants at federal courthouses came to UUP today when one of our members at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse was detained. .

"Two SUNY Upstate employees detained by federal agents when they arrived for their immigration hearings in Syracuse. One is a UUP member and the other is a member of CSEA. Both were taken into custody by ICE before they could attend their hearings.

"The men, both employees in Upstate's Environmental Services department, acted in good faith to finalize their legal status. But as we have seen over and over under the anti-immigrant regime in place in Washington D.C., they were met with handcuffs.

"We condemn the actions taken by ICE today. We want our members to know that our union will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the face of unlawful treatment. We will fight for their right to due process, a right afforded to 'all persons,' according to the Constitution.

"It is unclear why ICE took detained the men.