'We should have responded differently' — An open letter to the Jackson Heights and Corona community
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Jackson Heights business owners boarded up their storefronts following a warning about a potential “loot-out” issued by Assemblylmember Catalina Cruz, State Sen. Jessica Ramos and Councilmember Francisco Moya on June 4. Photo by Kat Ramus
By Assemblymember Catalina Cruz
Last Thursday, while I was at our office distributing food to our neighbors, one of our neighboring small business owners approached me with the look of fear on his face. He showed me a social media post that called for looting in Corona, sent to him by several of his customers. It contained a location (GameStop at Junction Blvd in Corona), date (June 5 at 5 p.m.), and a clear invitation to loot. This post was not a call for peaceful protesting, which I am fully supportive of and will defend the right of anyone to engage in, this was an invitation to create havoc and endanger our community which has already been ravaged by COVID.
Our office contacted the local precinct with the sole purpose of confirming the veracity of this post and we were informed that they had also received the same tip. You may wonder why we were so concerned about something posted on social media?
Well, a recent looting that took place in Fordham Road in the South Bronx began in the same manner. What you may not know is that despite a clear city law and policy of non-cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE agents were seen aiding the NYPD during the South Bronx incidents on June 4. Agencies at the state and local level have left us to fend for ourselves and we could not trust that they would handle this correctly.
For those who are not familiar with our community, 60 percent of our neighbors are immigrant, low wage workers, and many are undocumented. A simple encounter with law enforcement can lead to deportation. I reached out to the police precinct, not to be alarmist, not to ask them to add additional officers to our already over-policed community but to inquire if there was any validity to the tip. In an effort to keep our community safe, we reached out to our other elected officials in the area, who were also concerned.
A Jackson Heights business on June 4, after local elected officials warned of a potential “loot-out.” Photo by Kat Ramus
Together, we issued a statement that was meant to alert our community while also supporting the right to protest. I recognized that additional police presence on our streets could lead to more deportations and incarceration and we needed to do something to protect our community.
As soon as we heard about this threat, our office also contacted the Street Vendor Project and worked with the Corona Business Alliance and other groups to inform vendors, small businesses and our neighborhood about this possible incident. At no point did I request additional police presence in our community.
Out of an abundance of safety, our staff chose not to release the social media post that alerted us to the possible looting because we did not want to attract more attention to the location. On that day, I personally toured the areas of concern in Corona and Jackson Heights several times to check on our community. We also maintained constant contact with the Street Vendor Project, community groups and individual business owners in an effort to make sure everyone was safe.
No looting happened and for that I am relieved. And while I understand and regret the confusion and anger this has caused people, in this instance my duty was to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and their livelihoods. I have always and will always try to be on the right side of history. I have and will always put you first.
At times like this it is critical to reassess, listen more and speak less. It is important for our community to know they are being heard. I will continue to fight for you. Over the next few weeks, we will be teaming up with New York City Action Lab, local educators, and community organizations to create a safe space to discuss how we can move forward.
Ultimately, we should have responded differently. We were concerned about the impact of more police presence in response to this threat to both our undocumented neighbors and to everyone’s right to protest. In hindsight, this wasn’t communicated properly and for that I regret any confusion, fear, and pain this may have caused folks. These are trying times for everyone — including elected officials.
Catalina Cruz represents Assembly District 39, which includes Jackson Heights, Corona and Elmhurst.
