ICE agents harassing a child and her family on a Bushwick street. Pepper spraying a 72-year-old woman in Inwood. Abducting a man, taking him to a Lower Manhattan hospital emergency room, and threatening a witness who tried to help.
These are just three documented examples of federal immigration agents targeting New Yorkers in the past few days, in what advocates for immigrants are calling a marked increase in ICE enforcement activity across New York City in the past week—though New York Immigration Coalition CEO Murad Awawdeh stopped short of calling it a "surge."
"I think the word we choose to utilize is important; it's important to reflect the condition that we are witnessing. I would not refer to what has happened over the last week as a surge in enforcement, like what we've seen in states like Minnesota or Illinois or California—those were massive surges," he said. "What we're seeing right now is an uptick and an increase."
New York Immigration Coalition's internal tracking of reported ICE sightings and detentions, which it shared with Hell Gate, recorded 21 ICE kidnappings from July 27 to August 2, compared to two the week prior. Meanwhile, Make the Road Deputy Director Yaritza Mendez and New York City Councilmember Sandy Nurse told Hell Gate they were also tracking a spike in immigration enforcement in the city over the past seven days. Advocates say ICE agents were recorded in Inwood, College Point, Bushwick, Ridgewood, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Corona, Jackson Heights, and parts of Staten Island, where at least five confirmed abductions were recorded over the weekend.
"It feels like a surge, and that may also be because people are using the NYC ICE Hotline more," said Nurse, who represents Bushwick and Ridgewood. "But I do think they are moving into the neighborhoods more to meet their quota. I do think there is a leveling up of activity."
It was unclear who ICE was targeting so far, advocates said, and they directed all non-citizens to know their rights, consult with an attorney—particularly before travel—and to keep the door closed to ICE agents.