MONTICELLO — Members of the Sullivan County Human Rights Commission stood before legislators on Tuesday to ask for a resolution in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

According to the Pew Research Center, there are nearly 800,000 “dreamers” in the United States - undocumented individuals who were brought to this country as young children. There are approximately 42,000 dreamers in New York State alone.

Irais Leon has been a proud Liberty Indian since she started attending the district at age five.

She was 13 years old when she first found out she was undocumented. Dreams of attending to college were now shadowed with uncertainty, because she knew she wouldn't be able to apply for financial aid.

“I was depressed and always thought to myself ‘why should I keep trying?'” said Leon. “Why should I keep trying to get the best grades if I won't be able to continue my education when I graduate.”

Leon decided to start working in order to help support her family, but finding employment as an undocumented teenager proved difficult as well.

Then-President Obama introduced DACA in June of 2012, the same time Leon started her freshman year at Liberty High School. DACA would allow her to work, drive and eventually attend college.

“I was scared to apply at first, because I knew immigration would have all my information, but I decided to apply anyway,” she said.

Earlier this month, the same day Leon began nursing school, President Trump announced plans to phase out DACA within six months.

Leon said when she heard the news she sat in her car and cried. “I knew I wouldn't have enough time to graduate.”

Leon's DACA status has to be renewed every two years. Her renewal in April allows her to work at a group home for children with special needs.

Members of the Sullivan County Human Rights Commission asked the Legislature to pass a resolution in support of the 2017 Dream Act being proposed in Congress.

“We know the program is flawed and needs to be corrected, but scrapping DACA is not the answer,” said Human Rights Commissioner Sharon Morgan. “It is cruel and inhumane to deport people whose only home is America.”

On September 6, New York joined 14 other states in suing the Trump Administration ahead of its planned rollback of DACA.

“Sullivan County dreamers should not be made to feel that the land they love has rejected them,” said HRC Executive Director Ari Mir-Pontier in a prepared statement. “They were brought here by parents desperate to provide a better way of life for their children. They have established roots in our education system and houses of worship, and are respectable, hard working and taxpaying residents.”

Rick Sauer Appointed to Public Safety

Sullivan County will have a new public safety commission in November, a position that's sat vacant for nearly a year.

Richard “Rick” Sauer is a sergeant in the New York State Police, as well as the 1st assistant chief in the Liberty Joint Fire District.

He was appointed by County Manager Josh Potosek and confirmed unanimously by legislators.

“I think we found the right man for the job,” said Deputy County Manager Dan Depew, citing Sauer's many years of experience in law enforcement and emergency response.

Sauer will officially fill the post in November at a starting salary of $80,000. He succeeds Public Safety Commissioner Richard Martinkovic, who retired in 2016.