I am the son of Colombian immigrants. As a lifelong Queens resident, I was raised in a working-class household that instilled in me the values of hard work, community and standing up for one’s neighbors. I have seen firsthand how immigrant families are the backbone of Queens, not an abstract idea. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, the parents at school drop-off and the small business owners on our blocks. Like my parents, they came to this country seeking safety, opportunity and dignity. They did not come here to live in fear of a federal agency that now treats immigrants and their allies as enemies.
In recent days, the nation has watched in horror as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed two civilians in Minneapolis. Both deaths underscore a terrifying truth: ICE has become an agency that operates with violence, impunity and total disregard for human and civilian life.
