On Sunday evening, Goshen residents reported that Ku Klux Klan flyers had been distributed around the city. The flyers were signed by a chapter of the KKK, the Trinity White Knights, who have members across various Midwest and Southern states. Similar incidents have been reported in neighboring cities as well, including South Bend.
Víctor Vegas, a senior music major, said he first heard about the flyers Sunday night as he was leaving his dance class downtown. Vegas said, “I was leaving, and I had two of my friends go pick me up and they were like ‘We just didn’t want you to get attacked or we just wanted to make sure you were safe’ and I was like, what do you mean?”“These flyers are advocating for a mass deportation starting January 20 I believe, and as an international student that just really, really made me really scared and kind of like felt a lot of anger … but mainly fear just because I could not believe that I was seeing these kinds of flyers in this time and age.”
An excerpt from one of the two flyers states in capital letters, “leave now,” and “avoid deportation,” along with a phone number and P.O. box.
A second flyer encourages Goshen residents to report illegal immigrants to Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 20., Inauguration Day.
Following the distribution of the flyers, the Trinity White Knights of the KKK released a statement through WNDU. The statement said, “Here we are after the National Elections where the American people have spoken. We the people have voted for MASS DEPORTATIONS. Our flyer is actually an informative flyer.”
“Our next flyer will read, ‘You can run, but you can’t hide. Americans on GUARD! Coming soon, to cities near you.”
Goshen College President, Rebecca Stoltzfus, sent The Record a statement on the incident. She said, “These flyers are deeply disturbing. Messages and flyers that threaten our immigrant neighbors and students will not be tolerated on this campus. We are working on behalf of the safety and security of all of our community members, and we will continue to respond to your needs.”
Mayor Gina Leichty of Goshen released her own statement on Monday afternoon. She said, “These flyers, intended to spread fear and division, urged residents to spy on their neighbors and report them to authorities.”
Mayor Leichty also made a clear declaration about where the city stands. “Let me be clear: Goshen stands united against any form of discrimination, intimidation or harassment … Hate-filled messages like those distributed this weekend have no place in our community.
“Goshen was founded and has prospered through the contributions of immigrants from all continents. Each generation of newcomers has shaped our community’s identity, enriching our culture and driving our success. We remain committed to ensuring that all who work toward the good of Goshen are treated with dignity and respect.”
In an interview after the Goshen City Council meeting Monday evening, the mayor said it was important for her to make a statement, as she recognized that there was a lot of fear and apprehension among Goshen residents and wanted to address it to reassure residents that their city stands with them. At the same time, she said, city officials want to be careful not to amplify the message of the flyers.
She also said that the role of public safety is and will continue to be securing the respect and rights of everyone in Goshen. “Whatever is happening at the federal level, … we are committed here and our police force is committed here to ensuring the ongoing safety of everyone that’s here — regardless of what country they came from,” Mayor Leichty said.
Vegas said, “I’ve always thought of Goshen being sort of the safe spot in Indiana — at least Goshen college … And given the huge amount of Hispanic population here, I never really thought I would see a flyer, or anything related to the KKK anywhere, but I guess because of said population, I guess it was a strategic move. … It was just kind of shocking. Still is.”
This Thursday at 6 p.m. in Wyse Hall 108B, the HSI committee invites students, faculty and staff, community members and city council representatives to meet and address the presidential election, recent KKK flyers and similar issues facing the Goshen area.
Gilberto Pérez Jr., vice president of student life, Hispanic serving initiatives and dean of students, emphasizes the importance of being proactive with student needs.
“We know we have a group of students who potentially feel powerless, and so it’s trying to open up these spaces for them to come and talk and feel supported,” said Pérez Jr.
“We at Goshen College are wanting to stand as closely as we can to students to make sure they know that this is a place where they can come for support, and we’ll do whatever we can to make sure that they feel supported in this.”
During privilege of the floor when residents can address the mayor and City Council, Bruce Miller, a Goshen resident of 17 years and a Goshen College student in the 1960s, asked the council to join the mayor in condemning the flyer.
Miller said, “I just want to be sure that people are well aware of this kind of potential organizing among unhappy people and dissident voices here in Goshen. It’s important to me that the great majority of us, who are concerned citizens, to uphold laws and support people — No. 1: who are legally here.
“There’s lots of people in Goshen in the immigrant community who are here with temporary protective status, and I certainly don’t want anybody to be deprived of their home or made uncomfortable or experience hate mongering here.”
Miller pointed out that other speakers during privilege of the floor, who were speaking on the violence in Gaza, brought up the fact the Goshen was a sundown town as recent as the 1970s.
“My own mother in 1944 was a Goshen College student, and she lived on campus with a young black woman who actually had to send friends from Kulp Hall downtown to the drugstore to buy her personal items and cosmetics and toothpaste and stuff like that, because she … felt unsafe and being downtown,” Miller said.
While he noted that this story occurred a long time ago, there are still similar sentiments carried against people. Miller said, “My personal feeling is that our president-elect is somebody who is looking to gain favor from and organize that kind of sentiment, … and I want to stand clearly and firmly against it and have asked specifically the council give a message that ‘your hate isn’t welcome here.’”
When Mayor Leichty made her statement during elected official reports, council members responded with affirmation and declared their intentions to draft and release a statement of their own.
For GC, Pérez Jr. reiterates that those vulnerable in the Goshen community are not alone and that the institution stands with them.
“We’re active. Estamos activos. We’re not sitting around.”
With reporting by Sadie Brenneman and Charlie Aldrich
The finalized version of this article will be online and in print Thursday morning