Inside the snow-dusted St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery Thursday morning, people from all walks of life shared their anger and angst over ICE raids that President Donald Trump unleashed since the start of his second presidency last month.
The East Village house of worship served as a shield and a pulpit for members of a community and their supporters — including healthcare professionals, religious leaders, elected officials and advocates — who are genuinely concerned of the federal government targeting immigrants in their neighborhoods and tearing them away from their families.
Terrified by rapidly spreading images over social media from around the country of heavily armed ICE agents whisking people away in handcuffs, New Yorkers say they are fearful that the agents will eventually come for them at their schools, places of work, and even hospitals.
“I am here representing the millions of undocumented immigrants that are the building blocks of this country, that are now being terrorized day after day. Our community is deciding to go to work and pay their rent or stay home to avoid deportation,” Monica, a DACA recipient said. “As I stand here, I am fearful. My story is similar to so many other New Yorkers.”
The alarm comes as the Trump administration attempts to implement a directive rescinding protections from immigration enforcement for sensitive locations such as schools and higher education institutions; healthcare facilities (hospitals, doctor’s offices, and community health clinics); places of worship; places where children gather (including playgrounds and bus stops); social services establishments, and even weddings and funerals.
So far, proponents of the ICE raids have said the operations have targeted only undocumented individuals with criminal backgrounds. Speakers at the Feb. 6 rally, however, fear eventually, the target will shift away from ex-convicts to undocumented people without criminal records.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams met with those at the church, empathizing and showing support for those at risk of deportation. Despite Kristi Noem, President Trump’s homeland security secretary, stating that ICE is looking to root out criminals and, in her words, “dirtbags,” Williams argued the move is not about public safety.
What is being done is not about public safety, it never was. It is about repressive and cruel policies to be repressive to particular communities,” Williams charged on Feb. 6. “All of these things are about cruelty and oppression to particular communities, especially the more melanated those communities are. That’s all of these things are and have been about. That’s what this President has been about, and we need to collectively push back through that.“
According to a new report from news site The City, more than 100 people were detained by the feds in the past week. While only a small number of the alleged criminals hit the news cycle, attorneys told the publication that they are struggling to find where those detained were sent.
This has only served to fan the flames of fear among those gathering in St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, who said that some immigrants are choosing to skip school and work out of deportation anxiety.
Nevertheless, City Council Member Carlina Rivera charged that New York should not cower in fear.
“There are faith-based leaders here, advocates, immigrants, and people who have come to the city not only to escape persecution and dangerous elements in their own countries where they are from but also to start a new life,” Rivera said. ”We will stand up over and over again because this is a city that embraces families, that embraces our immigrant communities.”
