Southern Cayuga Conversations: Understanding immigration today
By Elaine Meyers
The Southern Cayuga Anne Frank Tree Project invites community members to attend our annual Difference Makers’ Night on Friday, May 15. We will begin at 6 p.m. with a community dinner in the high school cafeteria, offer a tour of the tree site at 6:30 p.m. and move to the auditorium at 7 p.m. As with all our programs, we seek to fulfill our mission of promoting understanding, equity and justice and to hear Anne Frank’s words, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” The program is free and open to the community.
From 7 to 7:30 p.m., we will honor our difference-makers and provide a brief history of our work. At 7:30 p.m., Steve Yale-Loehr will present "Understanding Immigration Today: The Rule of Law and the Reality on the Ground," and conduct a question-and-answer session. Steve has practiced and taught immigration law for over 40 years and has coauthored many books on the subject. His work includes "Immigration Law and Procedure," the leading 21-volume treatise on U.S. immigration law, "Green Card Stories" and "America’s Challenge: Domestic Security, Civil Liberties and National Unity After September 11." Steve is recognized as one of the best immigration lawyers in the United States. Steve was an asylum and immigration law professor at Cornell Law School.
Steve Yale-Loehr, 2026 Difference Makers’ Night speaker
"Understanding Immigration Today: The Rule of Law and the Reality on the Ground" begins with an overview of the immigrant population in the United States. Steve covers various stages of immigration status and highlights stories of those who are green card holders. Steve’s powerful stories of green card holders and their many contributions to our workforce will resonate with many of us who both come from these families or share work environments and friendships. Steve’s years of study and experience lead him to a deep understanding of the law as well as perspectives on how the system is broken.
When I spoke to Steve, we talked about Anne Frank’s belief that we need not wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. He will complete his presentation with a look at current immigration events and offer ways to promote understanding, equity and justice. To quote Steve directly, “We can all help immigrants in a variety of ways.”
In Steve’s introduction to the book "Green Card Stories," co-authored with Laura Danielson, he affirms the difference we can all make in the lives of those around us: “But amid the immigrants’ hardships, another story emerges in these pages — about the host country itself and the remarkable kindness of strangers in America. ... The slightest to the grandest acts of kindness made a lasting impression on the immigrants in 'Green Card Stories,' often changing their lives. Many of the immigrants, in turn, became advocates and activists for others.”
How we help others is the central theme of our Difference Makers' Night. We acknowledge students and community members who voluntarily dedicate their time and talents in the spirit of understanding, equity and social justice. Annually we seek community nominations for our awards and honor one student and one community member (or group) for our annual Difference Makers' Night. We invite you to join our conversation and celebrate the power we all have to make a positive difference in our community.
Elaine Meyers, author and Southern Cayuga Anne Frank Tree Project board member