OSSINING, NY — On Wednesday, April 23, Open Arms for Refugees brought a diverse group of speakers to Market Square to highlight the destructive impact of a wrongly emailed letter the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent to more than 900,000 people, including local asylum seekers, claiming they must "deport" themselves from the United States.

"Do not attempt to remain in the United States - the federal government will find you,” the letter reads. (Read the full letter here.) The message threatens criminal prosecution, civil fines and other penalties for those who do not comply, despite many recipients having legal bases to remain in the United States.

One such recipient, M. (name withheld), received the email while in attendance at this year’s Volunteer New York! Volunteer Spirit Awards, moments after watching a friend receive an award for her work to support immigrants like M. and others fleeing Afghanistan. All of them face great danger from the Taliban in their home country. Ted Buerger, Co-Founder and Lead Coordinator of Open Arms for Refugees, was sitting with M. at the time.

“I saw her face turn pale, her joy for her friend replaced with panic,” Buerger said. While they were able to confirm with an attorney that M. was not subject to summary deportation because she had legally filed for asylum, M. remains deeply shaken.

Volunteers from Open Arms read perspectives from recipients of the letter, who stayed away from the event for fear of being targeted by DHS for speaking out. One such testimony said, "That day was very terrible and dark for me. When I received the email from DHS telling me to leave the United States, I felt completely upset and broken. It was really hard to deal with emotionally — I lost all my motivation and couldn’t focus on anything. It felt like everything was falling apart."

One of the speakers at the event, Reverend Todd Farnsworth of Briarcliff Congregational Church, wove spirituality and neuroscience together in his remarks about the psychological impact of the letter. He noted how specific lines seem tailor-made to trigger a response from the amygdala, the brain’s primary “fear center,” particularly for people like refugees, who have experienced violence and other severe forms of trauma. Sending such a message “doesn’t reflect the call to love one another. This does not reflect who we aspire to be with one another or before our higher power, whatever that may look like for you,” he said. Rev. Farnsworth called on those assembled to urge leaders to “reconsider this cruel policy and instead make room for healing.”

State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, a co-founder of Open Arms for Refugees, reminded attendees that current law pertaining to refugees developed in response to the persecution and displacement that took place during and after World War II. Levenberg’s mother, who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child in the Netherlands, came to the United States as a refugee during the postwar period.

“As we commemorate Yom HaShoah today and tomorrow, I call on everyone to pay attention to the signs that we are about to repeat the mistakes of the past,” said Levenberg. “America can and should be a beacon of safety and hope, but this letter is causing despair. For us to say that we are going to send the most vulnerable people back to the most dangerous places in the world is completely unacceptable. The Department of Homeland Security must do better.” In her call to action, she encouraged residents to call their members of Congress to tell them to stand up for due process. She also called for passage of state legislation ensuring a right to representation in immigration proceedings, the Access to Representation Act, and encouraged attendees to call their state representatives for this.

Karin Anderson-Pozner, Esq., Director of the Community Law Practice at Neighbors Link, discussed the legal aspects of the message. “This notice is unlike any I have seen issued by the immigration services in this country in my 25 years of practice. It looks like spam,” she said, noting that it went to people’s emails and phones with no reference to the person for whom it was intended and without a signature indicating the sender. She highlighted the fact that the message was sent to many people to whom it could not possibly apply, including US citizens and permanent residents. “This is a very messy and unprofessional rollout of a termination process. It is unprecedented that the Department of Homeland Security would send such a confusing and misleading notice.” She urged recipients of the message to contact an attorney before taking any action in response, and highlighted the legal and other recourse offered by Neighbors Link.

Marine Corps veteran Colonel Reed Bonadonna (Ret.) shared his perspective to highlight how reckless actions by DHS toward those who assisted the United States in places like Afghanistan could imperil national security in the future. “If the United States does not stand by the people who stood by us in our time of need, who will want to serve us again, given what would amount to a record of treachery? This letter endangers thousands of lives, our national security, and the sacred honor of the United States and its armed forces. I ask that it be rescinded and that permanent protections be put in place for our endangered refugees.”

"DHS needs to make clear that they will respect the law and people's rights," said Buerger. "We are a nation of laws, not threats and bullying. Preying on people's fears, their desire to abide by the law, with inadequate time to respond, is morally indefensible."

Westchester’s congressmen were unable to attend the event but sent statements of support.

Congressman Mike Lawler (R-17th District) said, "I share the concerns of Open Arms for Refugees, local faith leaders, and advocates regarding the alarming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) letter that has caused confusion and fear among asylum seekers and others with legal rights to remain in the United States. Such miscommunication undermines trust and stability for vulnerable communities. My office has assisted numerous Afghanistan refugees since I took office in 2023, and I am committed to ensuring that all residents, including those seeking refuge, are treated with fairness and respect under the law. I will continue to work with federal and local partners to address this issue."

Congressman George Latimer (D-16th District) said, “I want to express my continued support for organizations like Open Arms, Hearts & Homes for Refugees, and Neighbors for Refugees in their efforts to resettle refugee families in our area, particularly those to whom the United States owes a debt of gratitude for their service. As time passes, we risk forgetting the sacrifices made in far-away lands for the defense of our nation; not just by our fellow Americans, but also by those who aided and assisted us against our enemies despite great physical risk to themselves and their families.America once did, and will one day again, demonstrate its unique compassion for immigrants and refugees who wish to fulfil their American dream, instead of displaying the isolationism and cold self-interest that is emblematic of the current Administration.Until that time, I will continue within my power to assist this community in helping America’s friends abroad find safe haven, and together, we will do our utmost to keep alive the principles of a freedom loving people who are accepting, value human dignity, and recognize the clear advantages of being able to live and prosper together.”

Watch the full press conference here.