MID-HUDSON – United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) continue to make news daily.
Allegations that ICE personnel are arresting and taking into custody undocumented individuals not charged with any crime continue to increase.
The fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis — and the quick reaction by Trump administration officials to declare the agent a hero and Good a villain, has put a new focus on whether federal agents enforcing President Trump’s deportation drive have been properly prepared for confrontations.
Each day immigrants residing in the greater Brewster area where ICE has been rounding up men on a regular basis awake in fear due to the masked enforcers.
Many of the village’s businesses owned by Central Americans and South Americans are empty since people are fearful of venturing out of doors.
Led by Hudson Valley Patriots For Immigration Reform, Putnam Pride: Mutual Found and Rapid Respond; Putnam County/Northern Westchester Indivisible; Danbury Unites For Immigrants and the Putnam Black Heritage Association demonstrations have become commonplace in opposition to the federal tactics.
A woman who lived for years in Carmel prior to relocating to Minnesota has spoken out regarding what she has described as the “crazy situation” in her new place of residency.
She stressed that her commentary was “not meant to be political. This is not crazy radicalized Democrats speaking out. This is me …a mom …really worried for her family. What is happening across Minnesota is something you could never imagine. There are more ICE agents in our state than local law enforcement. It seems dystopian and political…targeted at Minnesota and it is. It’s actually dividing our country…spreading hate and anger instead of peace and safety because of the way it is being done with force and intimidation. It’s scary. Our brown skin family members feel terrified. As do we for them. Ice agents are masked. Fully armed and full of misaligned power to get the ‘worst of the worst’. But they are not targeting or taking criminals. They are taking our kind and good friends and neighbors to detention centers based on skin color … only after do they check papers …after humiliation and forceful arrest by perpetuating racial hate. I saw them target the kind workers at my mom’s dry cleaners of 30 years. They cased the place and as I drove up I saw 8 black SUVs unleash armed agents honking horns and taking workers. ICE took the hardworking roofers replacing hail damaged roofs and it did not stop there. They surrounded the streets of my grandkids’ elementary school to target Spanish speaking teachers as it is a Spanish immersion school. Criminals: I think not. Teachers and school board members made a barricade and escorted teachers to their cars…. Seven SUVs surrounded a house down the street to take a cleaning crew. Were seven SUVs and armed agents necessary? ICE actions are financially impacting families as kids stay home from school and parents do not show up to work in fear. They are mobilizing to bring food and meals to families afraid to leave their homes.”
The woman continued: “Our own adult child works at a grocery store as a bagger and has been told that ICE is coming to get him by friends and strangers. He is terrified. He is now safely with us after a panic attack. Our youngest is starting back to college which is so exciting but she almost decided not to …instead she is carrying her birth certificate every day and is worried that she may be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We are worried too. We cannot imagine what it must feel like to know ICE is taking people based upon the color of their skin. And when you have that targeted skin color it is personal and scary. This is racial profiling at its worst and it is hateful. I truly believe our democracy and freedoms are at risk. Whomever you voted for: Whether you are Republican or Democratic, there is a time where human rights and decency should unite our country against a blatant abuse of power to minimize the voice of anyone that is ‘other.’”
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