STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to conduct raids in 10 cities around the country, including New York City, Staten Island immigrant community centers are working tirelessly to inform immigrants about their rights.
“We are hoping for the best, while being prepared for the worst,” said Cesar Vargas, co-director of the Dream Action Coalition.
Vargas, who is an immigration lawyer and active member of the military, informed community leaders to the legal rights undocumented immigrants have should ICE show up at their doors during a Q&A at La Colmena, a Port Richmond-based community group that works with immigrants.
“Do not open the door, do not say anything, do not sign anything,” said Vargas.
During the event, Vargas explained that ICE officers have the right to arrest someone only if they present a “judicial warrant,” a warrant signed by a judge.
Anything else not signed by a judge does not give ICE authority to arrest anyone, Vargas explained.
The immigration lawyer said that people were particularly afraid of being part of a “collateral arrest,” which happens when ICE goes to a house with the intent of arresting a specific person and those who are present who might be undocumented could get arrested too.
“You have a constitutional right to stay silent,” said Vargas.
On Saturday, Rep. Max Rose described the raids as a “misuse of vital resources.”
“This is the United States of America. We can uphold our public safety without sacrificing our values,” said Rose (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn).
Rose said that causing the immigrant community to fear getting in contact with law enforcement could have serious consequences on everyone’s safety.
“Now we especially have to be concerned about the fact that, unfortunately in New York City, that there will be families and people afraid or unwilling to report crimes committed against them and crimes that they have knowledge of, very valuable intelligence that law enforcement relies upon, and that endangers all of our respective public safety,” said Rose.
At about 11 a.m. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Twitter that there have been “unsuccessful ICE enforcement actions in Sunset Park and Harlem."
At the moment, no raids have been reported to Staten Island.
Bitta Mostofi, the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrants Affairs, penned a letter to Thomas Decker, ICE’s New York Field Office director, asking to not participate in the raids “in the interest of human rights and safety of children.”
“This poses an unacceptable risk of family separation, including the separation of immigrant parents from U.S. citizen children and family members,” Mostofi wrote.