A coalition of enraged interfaith clergy members called for the deportation of violent migrants on Monday in the wake of the shocking Jan. 27 assault on two NYPD officers in Midtown.
The group also took aim at Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, admonishing him for a failure to condemn the violence, for which six migrants were charged — but just one was ordered held in custody on bail.
The United Clergy Coalition, led by Bishop Gerald Seabrooks, stood on the windy and frigid steps of City Hall on Feb. 5 and declared that he, and those he stood alongside, supported migrants looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
Still, Seabrooks said that those who come into the U.S. and commit violent acts — such as the Jan. 27 assault on police officers — have no place in the city, or the country.
“We will not tolerate your antics of breaking the law and thinking you’re going to get by without any penalty. If you commit the crime, you have to do the time. And we’re asking for immediate deportation — not a court system, not going to the D.A — we’re asking that they be deported from wherever they have come,” Bishop Seabrooks said.
Seabrooks insisted that the deportation call came not from a point of bias but rather public safety. He noted that the coalition had waited for several days for City Council members and Public Advocate Williams to denounce the Jan. 27 assault. When that criticism didn’t come, Seabrooks noted, the group took matters into their own hands by speaking out Monday.
“We waited with patience before calling this press conference, what would be the response of our city officials after looking at the video?” Seabrooks asked. “We heard nothing from the Public Advocate. We are enraged that there hasn’t been a response.”
When amNewYork Metro reached to the Public Advocate’s office for comment, a spokesperson issued a statement from Williams: “Violence against police officers is and will always be unacceptable in New York City; the individuals responsible must be held accountable. This status quo is unsustainable, as tensions build but resources—from the state and federal government—dwindle.”
Among the speakers who joined the coalition included conservative activist Scott LoBaido, who has drawn criticism over the last year for rallying against all migrants in his native Staten Island.
