‘Coming after all of us’: Advocates, elected officials protest against ICE activity in Queens
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Queens Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas speaks at a Corona rally against recent ICE activity alongside Democratic nominee for State Assembly Brian Romero, Assemblymember Catalina Cruz and members of Hands off NYC and Make the Road NY. Eagle file photo by Noah Powelson
By Noah Powelson
As federal immigration officers have been spotted with increasing frequency in Queens, local officials on Monday told their constituents to prepare themselves in the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempt to arrest them or their neighbors.
Hundreds of activists, volunteers, elected officials and city workers gathered in Corona Plaza on Monday evening to protest what they described as a recent uptick in immigration arrests and detentions carried out by ICE in Queens, and to inform residents what to do if agents knock on their door. Following the rally, volunteers spent hours canvassing Corona’s streets to inform residents of their rights, connect them with resources and encourage them to create action plans in case federal agents sweep through their neighborhood.
The rally came after several weeks of a reported uptick in ICE sightings throughout Queens, but especially in neighborhoods like Corona, one of the most diverse in the city, which is also home to a large number of immigrant street vendors along a prominent stretch of Roosevelt Avenue.
Murad Awawdeh, the president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said that over half of reported recent ICE arrests occurred within Corona, but that ICE has also been active throughout the city. While less media coverage may make it seem like ICE activity in the city has been quiet over the past few months, Awawdeh said in reality, ICE has been consistently operating throughout the five boroughs.
“We've seen an uptick of not only immigration enforcement across the city and the State of New York, but there has been a greater need for more services and support,” Awawdeh told the Eagle. “As we see more actions happening, more people are seeking more support. Our message to people is: don't wait for an action to happen.”
Increased ICE activity means more immigrants or their family members seeking legal help. Many will have to rely on free services offered by nonprofit legal aid groups like NYIC.
Awawdeh said that while NYIC has made do with the funds and attorneys it has on staff, it needs more resources in order to address the increase in demand.
“We have seen an uptick of anti-immigrant efforts from the Trump administration, and we've not seen the resources we need,” Awawdeh said.
A spokesperson for NYIC said they were aware of at least 20 incidents where ICE agents were operating within Queens in the past two weeks.
Protesters were joined by a score of Queens elected officials, including State Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas, as well as City Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán and Shekar Krishnan.
González-Rojas, whose district includes parts of Corona, condemned ICE and President Donald Trump for the increased immigration crackdown, and joined other elected officials and activists in calling to abolish ICE.
“Every single day, we get text messages from ICE watchers saying that ICE is in our communities,” González-Rojas said. “It doesn't matter if you're a small business owner. Doesn't matter if you're a five-year-old child. They are coming after all of us.”
Cruz, who also represents parts of Corona, said that most immigrants who are detained don’t have criminal records when ICE arrests them.
“It's about cleansing,” Cruz said. “It is about cleansing our communities of the immigrant power and love that they're so afraid of.”
Monday’s rally was part of a new grassroot push against the immigration enforcement agency, after legal attempts to curtail ICE’s authority within the city have yet to bear results.
In May, Queens Congressmember Grace Meng introduced a bill that would give immigrants a virtual option to attend court appearances and avoid potential arrests by waiting ICE agents, but the bill has yet to make it out of committee within the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Earlier this year, both the State Senate and Assembly passed a law that would ban ICE agents from wearing masks while conducting immigration enforcement. But that law was struck down by federal Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, who ruled that the state does not have the authority to set policy for federal law enforcement.
However, that same judge upheld another new law that bans 287(g) agreements – formal agreements made between ICE and local governments. The law is set to go into effect on Aug. 25.
According to the agency’s data, ICE agents have arrested more than 43,000 people nationwide in June, averaging more than 1,500 arrests a day.
While New York City is no stranger to ICE crackdowns, Queens – the most diverse borough in the country where countless immigrant communities are concentrated – has been a regular target.
Last April, ICE was sued in a class action lawsuit by The Legal Aid Society and the New York Civil Liberties Union, which claimed the agency had been violating New Yorkers’ constitutional rights by conducting warrantless immigration arrests made without probable cause.
The lawsuit also claimed ICE had established checkpoints in Corona, Jackson Heights and Flushing, where they would wait in unmarked cars near commercial thoroughfares to arrest passing pedestrians.
In addition to Corona, ICE has reportedly been spotted making arrests in East Elmhurst and College Point in recent weeks.
