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Dear John, When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. After being arrested and spending about four hours in federal detention yesterday, I felt very fortunate to go home, sleep in my bed, be with my family, and talk to my lawyer. No charges have been brought, though I have been informed that the case is still under review. But Edgardo, whose arm was ripped from mine by ICE agents as I attempted to accompany him safely out of immigration court, has none of those things. God knows where Edgardo slept last night. He has no lawyer. No one knows where to look for him. He has been stripped of his due process rights. That is exactly why I’ve shown up at federal immigration hearings for the past three weeks with Immigrant ARC’s “Friend of the Court” program to nonviolently bear witness for New Yorkers like Edgardo who did everything they were told, and safely escort them past ICE.
Solidarity in Foley Square after I was released. Right now at Federal Plaza — maybe as you read this email, John — New Yorkers seeking asylum are being disappeared and deported. Here’s how it works. These are asylum seekers who do everything they were told to do. They cross the border, self-report, and get a court date. But when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dismisses someone’s deportation proceeding, DHS also invalidates the asylum application, subjecting that person to expedited removal. It means people can be grabbed by ICE agents as soon as they exit the courtroom — just like Edgardo was yesterday. It is a totally unconscionable process that cruelly strips people’s rights away. Asylum seekers lose the opportunity to advocate for themselves and explain why they fear being deported to their home country. They are not even provided lawyers to advise them on their rights. John, this is a precarious time for the rule of law in our country. We’ve seen the fascist Trump administration double down on Democratic leaders standing up for justice, arresting Senator Alex Padilla, Rep. LaMonica McIver, and Mayor Ras Baraka. As Ezra Klein reported on the incident this morning, “We are very far down a very dark path when ICE agents are arresting elected officials.” Meanwhile, Trump is making good on his promise to deport millions of people, pointing his finger right at immigrants. He's trying to distract us from his hideous agenda of stripping health care away from millions of Americans and defunding our cities. Let me be clear: I am not going to give Donald Trump and his goons any excuse for ratcheting up violence or conflict in our city. I will keep coming back to immigration court — week after week after week — to bear witness and prevent deportations. This is an important time for everyone to stand up, John. New York City is the greatest immigrant city on earth. Proudly, we are a sanctuary city. Of eight million New Yorkers, 40% are immigrants and 50% live in mixed status households, including one million children. What New York City needs right now is a leader who will stand up and protect New Yorkers. I’m urging everyone to keep paying attention and to show up for our immigrant neighbors. And I’m urging everyday New Yorkers to support Immigrant ARC, a nonprofit network of legal advocates dedicated to advancing immigrant justice.
When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. In solidarity, Brad |
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