Trump or no Trump, Croton’s IDEA Advisory Committee pursues its inclusivity agenda.

Immigration and ICE were among several topics at last week’s meeting of the group.

The day before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the Chronicle published a commentary entitled “Croton-on-Hudson in the Age of Trump.” We asked how Trump’s presidency might affect Croton and its citizens, and outlined some areas of village life that we thought might be particularly sensitive, or vulnerable, to the policies of the new administration.

As we know, dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs around the country is a long-stated goal of Trump and his allies. Federal agencies, acting under direct orders, wasted no time pushing the delete button on these efforts, obliterating Websites and the jobs of staff hired to carry out DEI programs. Likewise, many American universities, evidently fearful of losing federal funds, have begun doing the same.

Many advocates of inclusivity efforts have watched aghast at this stampede of what Yale historian Timothy Snyder has called “anticipatory obedience.” Just yesterday, a New York Times national reporter published a piece about the struggle of “flailing” Democrats to “find footing in the diversity fight.” His first line: “The Democratic Party is having an identity crisis about identity politics.”

But what some call “identity politics” are, for others, “timeless fundamentals of fairness,” as Cristina Alvarez Arnold, chair of Croton’s IDEA Advisory Committee, told the Chronicle after the committee’s last meeting on Friday. Alvarez, who stresses that she is speaking for herself, adds that “No matter the political climate, I know diversity—of thought, lived experience and ancestry—remains a strength in Croton.”

Friday’s meeting was the committee’s first since Trump took office. But while the group seemed keenly aware of the new challenges its work would now face—especially in areas such as immigration issues—there were few signs that the members were going to compromise on the basic principles of inclusivity that Croton’s mayor and Board of Trustees have made a signature of village politics. If anything, the meeting was characterized by a spirit of new determination.

The IDEA Advisory Committee was first chartered by Croton’s Board of Trustees in November 2018 as the “Diversity and Inclusion Committee." In January 2024, it was renamed the “Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Committee.” Its mission statement, which we reproduce in full at the bottom of this post, is carried out by a current roster of 11 members appointed by Croton’s mayor, along with two liaisons from the Board of Trustees (currently Nora Nicholson and Cara Politi.)

After a round of introductions—the committee has a few new members this year—the group tackled a very full agenda. Under the “Community” rubric, plans for the next culture night at the Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School were announced, which this year will be on March 28 (anyone can come.) While last year’s event saw some controversies related to Israel-Palestine issues, organizing for this year is already well under way; the evening will be called “A Taste of Culture” and more than 30 families have already signed up for presentations on their cultural and national identities.

Next up was a discussion of the committee’s “Croton Welcomes Everyone” campaign (see symbol above.)

“Locations displaying this symbol pledge to welcome people of all experiences and identities who live in, work in, and visit Croton-on-Hudson, helping all feel safe, seen, and supported,” reads a section of the committee’s Web page describing the campaign.

Trustee Nora Nicholson informed the group that the village’s new attorneys think the campaign might be legally “problematic,” especially if Croton businesses were put on its Web site. But Cristina Alvarez said that the committee was “not giving up on it,” and the discussion moved on to Croton’s traditional June programs.

These include Juneteenth and also the raising of the Pride Flag for June Pride Month. The group heard a suggestion that this year the village might consider having a special ceremony as the flag is raised, including music and perhaps even a school band.

The Pride Flag flies above the Croton municipal building last June.

Then came the longest discussion of the meeting, around how the village should handle executive orders from the Trump administration around immigration, and a more aggressive push by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to round up allegedly undocumented immigrants, including in schools, hospitals, and houses of worship.

(The Chronicle has posted several reports and Guest Editorials on this topic in recent weeks, including two opinion pieces by our local clergy.)

The discussion focused to a large extent on how the committee could facilitate the distribution of resources to the community on immigration issues, including a possible “Know Your Rights” training session at the Croton Free Library. Committee members are also having discussions with Croton’s police chief and school officials about developing policies and procedures for dealing with any ICE intrusions into the village (last week the Croton-Harmon district issued instructions to staff about what to do if ICE arrived on campus, and the village has a limited cooperation policy with immigration authorities dating back to 2017.)

Nora Nicholson reported that the village’s attorneys have been working with the police chief on clearer, and possibly stronger, procedures about the limits of cooperation with ICE, which should be finalized this coming week. “Then the Board [of Trustees] will have to decide the policy,” Nicholson said, adding that village attorneys had offered to do training with Croton police on these matters.

The group then discussed the widespread fear that Trump’s executive orders were currently causing among immigrant communities in Croton and throughout Westchester County. One committee member expressed concern that taking a public stand on limited cooperation with ICE created the danger of attracting attention to our community, with the possibility that it would “put a target on someone’s back. I don’t want to give them a reason to come in here.”

But Alvarez said that “we are not talking about sanctuaries,” and stressed the importance of all local communities standing up against indiscriminate immigration raids. For example, Peekskill and Sleepy Hollow (which has the same village attorneys as Croton) have made statements about only providing limited cooperation with ICE, and other municipalities are considering following suit.

After a few other brief topics the meeting ended. Shortly afterwards, we asked Cristina Alvarez to comment on the committee’s continuing commitment to inclusivity now that Donald Trump is president.

“We learn that as children,” Alvarez said, again stressing that she was speaking for herself and not the committee as a whole. “No Executive Order can distort or deny those principles. I meet with Croton folks who dedicate a lot of their time, energy, and intelligence toward making the Village feel safe and welcoming to everyone, before and after January 20, 2025. I see no reason to change course or values.”

THE IDEA ADVISORY COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT:

Inclusion – The committee aims to broaden communication among community groups, Village entities and individuals, with emphasis on amplifying marginalized voices.

Diversity – The committee intends to celebrate the contributions of our community’s diverse make-up and promote cross-cultural understanding through support and coordination of cultural and educational programs.

Equity – The committee is dedicated to the equitable sharing of Village resources. Through research, advising and outreach, the committee's goal is to promote fair allocation of services and resources for equitable outcomes.

Accessibility – The committee is dedicated to identifying and dismantling barriers to access services, resources, and information.

Advisory – The committee provides guidance, research and outreach on IDEA issues pertinent to the Village of Croton-on-Hudson.

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