In October 2025, Alex Lazaro Ramirez González and Yan Vázquez Hidalgo were detained by ICE during a scheduled immigration hearing in Syracuse. After months of being held at a federal detention center in Batavia, they were released … but a deportation order to Ecuador, a country neither man has ever been to, still hangs over their heads.
Delegates at the 2026 NYSUT RA honored González and Hidalgo, along with United University Professions – Upstate Medical Center Chapter President Mindy Heath, with a standing ovation in support of their fight.
“The true score of union leadership doesn’t come with a checklist,” said Heath. “It reveals itself when our members are hurting, when the stakes are high, and when doing the right thing demands more than we ever expected to give.”
“The union is strong,” said González. “All I want to say is thank you, thank you so much.”
“We are facing a challenging political environment, one that asks us again and again whether we will stand together or stand down,” said Heath. “Every time the union chooses to stand together. That is the power of NYSUT. That is the power of our union.”
NYSUT President Melinda Person presented González, Hidalgo, Heath and the UUP chapter with a proclamation for their efforts in the union and in their fight for dignity.
To support González and Hidalgo’s defense, Heath shared a GoFundMe.
Learn more about Alex and Yan's story here.