At 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue their operations in arresting immigrants after judicial sessions discussing their legal standing in the United States. This routine has been met with regular demonstrations from immigrant collectives, students, and political advocates, nonetheless, numerous immigrant workers and young individuals are apprehended every week.
In a significant incident that occurred recently, Joselyn Chipantiza-Sisalema, a 20-year-old student from Ecuador seeking asylum, was detained after her ordinary immigration hearing. A federal judge had scheduled a new hearing date with the open possibility of Chipantiza-Sisalema being able to stay; however, agents took her into custody immediately following her exit from the court.
Chipantiza-Sisalema and her family sought refuge in the United States, escaping the grasp of gang-related violence in Ecuador. At the time she was captured, she was part of a program working towards passing the General Educational Development test, which, on successful completion, would provide her equivalent recognition as a high-school diploma holder.
Since her arrest happened, her regular attendance at classes has been disrupted. Marco Chipantiza, her father, expressed his feelings and concerns while he and the rest of his family demonstrated in protest together outside 26 Federal Plaza. He was joined by immigration promoters and supporters challenging these practices.
The apprehension of his child has heavily impacted Mr. Chipantiza. He expresses real fears about his daughter’s safety and potential persecution if she is expelled from the country. As per him, ‘Day after day is filled with unsettling uncertainty. As a family, we’re unable to find peace – we’re in despair, unsure of what to do next. In this foreign land, the four of us are the only family we have, and that reality is extremely hard to deal with.’
This incident is not isolated, as Chipantiza-Sisalema is the latest in a string of New York high school students seized by such operatives in recent months. A high school scholar at Grover Cleveland High School in Queens was snatched up in early June during an immigration hearing, and late May saw the arrest of Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras, a student from Ellis Prep Academy in the Bronx, who had migrated from Venezuela.
Contreras legally entered the US with the aim of seeking asylum. However, he was ambushed and arrested when he showed up for a compulsory immigration hearing. A growing trend has seen agents apprehending immigrants much like Chipantiza-Sisalema, regardless of whether their cases or court dates are pending judgment.
This recent trend of arrests is viewed as a breach of the clear division between executive and judicial branches of the US governmental system. Federal jails across the US, including New York City, have been opened up to accommodate detained immigrants. Over 100 immigrants arrested by agents are now housed in the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The drive for detention and deportation of unauthorized immigrants in major US cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York has been openly declared by the federal government. Such a drastic and explicit pronouncement highlights the perception of this enforcement campaign as an assault on the democratic rights of the working populace.
The enforcement is deemed necessary to establish the unchecked dominance of the wealthiest American classes. Powerful figures representing the oligarchy are aware that their agenda can’t be driven forward via democratic mechanisms.
Recent developments symbolized by the success of a certain candidate in the mayoral primary elections signal a shifting left-wing sentiment among younger demographics and the working class, not just in New York but throughout the United States.
An increasing animosity permeates not only against specific factions within the traditional political parties, but also against the veteran political establishments that have been at the helm, governing realms such as New York City and state, as well as larger cities including Chicago and Los Angeles for decades.
Regardless of ongoing protests, operations at 26 Federal Plaza persist. A fresh political perspective is necessary to tackle these confrontations on immigrants and to put a stop to these adverse actions.
The proposed perspective involves rallying the working class on a revolutionary program designed to challenge the amassed wealth of the ruling elite. This would serve as a pivotal step towards disrupting the mounting number of actions taken against immigrants.