New York, NY—On Saturday night, ICE agents brought a man to the Wykoff Heights Medical Center after brutalizing him in his car. Community members responded to the incident, and NYPD officers cleared New Yorkers from the street in order to put the detained individual into the back of an ICE vehicle before disappearing him. Video of the detention that put the individual in the hospital clearly contradicts DHS’s account of the incident.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Every New Yorker, no matter when they arrived here, should feel safe to live their lives without being brutalized by masked ICE terrorists. On multiple occasions in recent months, ICE has put New Yorkers in the hospital through their violent and unlawful tactics – and DHS constantly lies to the American public to justify terrorizing, brutalizing, and even killing people. This weekend, when a New Yorker was put in the hospital by ICE – while he repeatedly asked to speak to his lawyer – they once again showed their disregard for the law and their disrespect for immigrant New Yorkers’ lives. And when the NYPD helped ICE disappear our neighbor, they showed that our sanctuary policies need much stricter enforcement. We call on the City to investigate the actions of the NYPD, who used escalating tactics and brute force against New Yorkers. Those who have been found to violate our laws must be held accountable, and all community members who responded to the incident must have their charges dropped immediately. Our city must do better to protect our immigrant New Yorkers from ICE’s violence.”