🗳️🇺🇸 GENESEE VALLEY GUARDIAN Vol 2, Issue 26 — June 30, 2026 🗳️🇺🇸
Genesee Valley Guardian
Vol 2, Issue 26 — June 30, 2026
This week — three things to do
- Call Schumer & Gillibrand — SCOTUS just cleared the way for mass TPS deportations
- Join us Saturday, July 11 in Geneseo — RSVP
- Confirm you’re registered to vote — Vote.org
Weekly Inspiration
A combat veteran lost her VA job to DOGE cuts. She reached out to Tenney for help and got nothing back. So she decided to run for Tenney’s seat, and just won the Democratic primary by a decisive margin! She did it by showing up everywhere. We will do the same, for the next 126 days.
Alissa Ellman won 62% of the vote across eight counties on June 23. She now faces Claudia Tenney on November 3.
“I feel like our hard work paid off. To go from just a nobody, really, and not ever looking to be in politics, to being able to win the Democratic primary — I’m really proud of myself and my team.”
— Alissa Ellman, election night, June 23, 2026 (WRVO)
Member Survey Results
Last week, GVI asked its members a direct question: Should our group endorse candidates in the 2026 elections?
Seventy percent said yes. The dominant theme: defeating Tenney requires standing behind a candidate. Many yes voters drew a line between the congressional race and down-ballot contests — all in on NY-24, more cautious elsewhere. Members who answered no or not sure raised concerns about GVI’s non-partisan identity and 501(c)(4) status. The leadership team is reviewing the full results and will share next steps at an upcoming meeting.
Genesee Valley Voices
Two GVI members had letters to the editor published recently in the Livingston County News. Read them on the GVI website:
- The President’s Corruption Hurts Us All
- They Couldn’t Stop Us. So They Parked Two Trucks Instead.
Stand Up, Fight Back Saturdays
Saturday, July 11 · Noon to 1:00 PM
Defeat Tenney — Support Alissa Ellman
Geneseo Gateway Park
Main Street, Geneseo, NY
This event coincides with the Geneseo Festival.
Saturday, July 25 · Noon to 1:00 PM
Defeat Tenney — Support Alissa Ellman
Lima Four Corners
Main Street & Rochester Road, Lima, NY
Co-organized with the 5&20 Alliance. Last day of the Hemlock Fair.
Outreach — Call or Email Your Representatives
Federal contacts for Livingston County · NYS contacts
Demand Dignity at Delaney Hall
Since May, detainees at Delaney Hall — the Northeast’s largest ICE detention facility, run by private prison contractor GEO Group in Newark, NJ — staged a month-long hunger and labor strike, reporting moldy and expired food, maggots, overcrowded cells, no air conditioning, and denial of medication. Around June 20-22, advocates confirmed the strike ended — not because conditions improved, but because of retaliation: detainees were placed in solitary confinement and hundreds were transferred to facilities in Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, far from their families. More than 80 people have been arrested at outside protests; public defenders are seeking dismissal of charges for 40 of those arrested. New Jersey’s attorney general filed suit on June 2 against GEO Group after health inspectors were blocked from the medical unit, sleeping areas, and bathrooms. No court ruling yet.
This is what the $69.55 billion Secure America Act — which Tenney voted for on June 9 — funds.
Who to contact: Sen. Chuck Schumer · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Script format: “Please investigate conditions at Delaney Hall ICE detention facility and demand GEO Group allow independent health inspectors inside. No one in federal custody should be subjected to unsafe, unsanitary conditions.”
Protect the Right to Vote
The SAVE Act — which would require a passport or birth certificate to register to vote and eliminate online and mail-in registration — was blocked in April when an amendment vote failed 48-50 (four Republicans — Murkowski, McConnell, Collins, and Tillis — crossed over). The threat has since escalated sharply. On June 24, Trump canceled the signing of a bipartisan housing affordability bill that had passed 358-32 in the House, refusing to sign it until Congress passes the SAVE Act. Speaker Johnson announced he will push a Reconciliation 3.0 package built around a SAVE Act workaround structured to survive the Senate’s Byrd Rule. If any version passes, an estimated 21 million Americans could lose the ability to register to vote.
Who to contact: Sen. Chuck Schumer · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Script format: “Please oppose any effort to include SAVE Act voter suppression provisions in budget reconciliation. Every eligible American has the right to register and vote — without having to produce a passport or birth certificate.”
Supreme Court Greenlights Mass Deportations — Two Rulings in One Day
On June 25, the Supreme Court issued two sweeping immigration rulings on the same day. In Mullin v. Doe (6-3), the Court held that courts cannot review the administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti and Syria. The ruling doesn’t itself end TPS — it lifts the court orders that had been blocking deportations DHS announced in 2025. Work authorization for Haitian TPS holders expires July 1 — this Tuesday. Roughly 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians face immediate deportation risk. The ruling’s broad logic puts approximately 1.3 million TPS holders from 17 countries at risk. Hospitals, nursing homes, and home care agencies — where Haitian workers make up a significant share of the workforce — are warning of an immediate staffing crisis.
In the same session, the Court ruled 6-3 in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado that asylum seekers physically present at ports of entry on the Mexican side of the border cannot apply for asylum in the United States. Justice Sotomayor read her dissent aloud from the bench in both cases.
TPS holders are members of our communities. Some are part of the farmworker networks GVI supports through Alianza AgrĂcola. These rulings are not abstract.
Who to contact: Sen. Chuck Schumer · Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Script format: “Please use every tool available to protect Temporary Protected Status holders from deportation. Work authorization for Haitian TPS holders expires July 1. These are our neighbors — people who have been living and working here legally for years. The Supreme Court’s decision makes congressional action urgent.”
Reach In — Learn, Train, Volunteer
Get Involved with the Ellman Campaign
The campaign needs volunteers to knock on doors, make calls, attend rallies, and send texts — whatever you can give, wherever you are in the district.
Phonebanking Opportunities
Call voters in NY-17 with Citizen Action of New York. Make calls to residents of Rep. Mike Lawler’s Hudson Valley district about federal policy and what’s at stake for them.
Call with the Environmental Voter Project. The project has identified 11.2 million environmentalists who didn’t vote in 2024. They’re working to turn them into consistent voters — a bloc too big for politicians to ignore.
Sign Up — EnvironmentalVoter.org
Become an Election Inspector — November 3 General Election
County boards of elections need trained inspectors for the November general. It’s one of the most direct ways to support a fair election from the inside.
Defeat Tenney: NY-24 Election Watch
The Primary Is Over — It’s Ellman vs. Tenney
Alissa Ellman won the NY-24 Democratic primary on June 23, defeating Diana Kastenbaum 62% to 38% — 9,894 votes to 6,103. Ellman carried the majority of counties across the eight-county district; Kastenbaum carried Genesee County.
Both candidates pledged before the primary to support the winner. Kastenbaum conceded and endorsed Ellman promptly after the results came in:
“We cannot waste time sulking over my loss; we must be pragmatic, and support whoever is willing to challenge Claudia Tenney and the broader MAGA movement in November. Alissa is a fighter, and understands that people are fed up with the Republican status quo and want real change.”
— Diana Kastenbaum, June 24, 2026
Ellman now faces Claudia Tenney in the November 3 general election, running on affordability, energy costs, childcare, veterans’ issues, and healthcare. She holds both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines.
Tenney’s Record
- Voted YES — Secure America Act (June 9): $69.55 billion for CBP, ICE, and Homeland Security through FY2029 — the deportation and private detention infrastructure behind the conditions at Delaney Hall.
- Voted YES — FISA Section 702 extension (June 11): Warrantless surveillance for an administration that directed $1 million in FBI “loyalty bonuses” to politically favored agents.
- Voted YES — One Big Beautiful Bill (May 2025): Now law. Includes $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years, $186 billion in SNAP cuts, and elimination of home energy efficiency tax credits. Medicaid work requirements take effect July 31, 2026. SNAP enrollment is already down more than 4 million people nationally since enactment.
The Democratic Nominee
Alissa Ellman · Lockport, Niagara County
Army National Guard veteran, two deployments to Afghanistan. Left the military to become a special education teacher. Diagnosed with cancer from burn pits in 2018; recovered. Lost her VA job in the first wave of DOGE cuts, reached out to Rep. Tenney for help, and received no response. Decided to run for Tenney’s seat. Holds both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines for the General Election. Running on healthcare, veterans’ issues, energy costs, and anti-corruption.
Fundraising Context
As of Q1 2026, Tenney held $1.3 million cash on hand. Ellman had raised $124,300 with $4,400 cash on hand. Q2 figures are due July 15 — the first real measure of post-primary momentum. Closing the gap will take district-wide organizing.
Local Actions
Defeat Tenney Yard Signs
Genesee Valley Indivisible, with other Indivisibles and allied groups in NY-24, is putting “Defeat Tenney” yard signs across the district. Email Phil at paj12147@gmail.com to reserve yours. Suggested donation: $7.
Register — or Confirm Your Registration — for November
The general election is November 3. In New York, you must be registered by October 24 (received online or in person) or October 29 (postmarked by mail). If you’ve moved, changed your name, or haven’t voted recently, check now.
Support Alianza AgrĂcola
Learn how local immigrant farmworkers organized a mutual support group and how you can help.
- Become an Ally
- Donate to Alianza AgrĂcola
- Monthly Ally meetings in Geneseo, 3rd Friday of the month — Register
WEEKLY RECURRING EVENTS
GVI Weekly Community Meeting
Summer Meeting Schedule
7/2 – Meeting canceled. The Independence Day Weekend begins!
7/9 to 7/30 – Regular Meeting time and location.
8/6 to 8/27 – Regular Meeting time and location.
Details
Thursdays, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Geneseo, NY
Enter through the red door in the back of the church.
- Welcome. No RSVP required.
- New Format: Agenda arrives in member email inboxes on Thursday mornings.
- Weather cancellations emailed to all GVI members by 3:00 PM Thursday.
- Address & map
- Join our member email list
Weekly Geneseo Wednesday and Friday Protests
Wednesdays and Fridays — 4:00–5:00 PM
Gateway Corner Park in Geneseo, NY (across from Wegmans)
Join the ‘Geneseo Visibles’ — all are welcome, even if you can only stay for 10 minutes!
Weekly Hemlock Protest
Wednesdays — 4:30–5:30 PM (Summer Schedule)
Southeast Corner of Rt 15A and Rt 20A (aka “Dollar General Corner”)
Organized by Hemlock Rising Indivisible
Livingston Bridge Brigade
Once a week, we raise our signs over Route 390, alternating between the 7 a.m. morning commute and the 3:45 p.m. return. It’s safe, it’s fun, and it gets our message in front of the people who need to see it.
We are part of the GVI Artists Group. To join us, send an email to info@GeneseeValleyIndivisible.org with your name, phone number, and email address.
Listen to What’s the Plan? — Weekly Zoom & Podcast
Weekly, national, interactive Zoom with Indivisible co-CEOs Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin.
LOCAL POSTCARD CAMPAIGN
You can pick up postcards to write at home OR write them at GVI’s Thursday meetings. The Artist’s Team is setting up a table to serve as the “postcard station” and can provide pens. Order in advance by Wednesday each week.
SUPPORT GENESEE VALLEY INDIVISIBLE
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