The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan remain unceasing, where they continually apprehend immigrants during their legal proceedings. These actions involve detaining immigrants following their court hearings to determine their legal standing within the United States. The persistence of these actions is undeterred by the constant protests launched by various immigrant organizations, student groups, and political bodies. Every week, a significant number of immigrant workers and young people fall into the hands of these agents.
A recent instance of these arrests occurred last month when Joselyn Chipantiza-Sisalema, a 20-year-old Ecuadorian student and asylum seeker, found herself under arrest as she exited her immigration court hearing. Despite the fact that a federal judge assigned a follow-up court date and didn’t rule out the possibility of her staying in the US, the ICE agents seized her as she departed the court. The reason for Chipantiza-Sisalema’s presence in the country stems from her flight from Ecuador along with her family to evade the threat of gang violence.
She was pursuing her studies during her time in the U.S., attending a program designed to prepare her for the General Educational Development (GED) test. The GED test would allow her to earn the equivalent of a high-school diploma upon successful completion. However, her detainment by ICE has led to her absence from these classes.
The father of the student, Marco Chipantiza, spoke out about his daughter’s arrest alongside his wife and son during a demonstration held outside the ICE headquarters at 26 Federal Plaza. They were accompanied by a collective of immigration advocates and supporters invoking for an end to these detentions. The ordeal has taken a significant toll on Chipantiza. He lives in fear of his daughter’s potential deportation, which could result in her being a target of persecution and, possibly, a victim of violence.
His anguish is apparent in his words, “Every day is one of great uncertainty. Our family cannot remain calm. We are desperate, not knowing what to do, because the four of us are the only family in this country, and that is very hard.” The arrest of Chipantiza-Sisalema is not a unique situation. She is, in fact, the third student from a New York high school to be detained by ICE agents over the past two months.
A similar incident happened on June 6, when a student from Grover Cleveland High School in Queens was taken into custody during an immigration hearing that he was attending with his family. Late May saw the arrest of another student, Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras from Ellis Prep Academy in the Bronx. Contreras had immigrated legally to the U.S from Venezuela and was in the middle of his asylum-seeking process when he was arrested during a mandatory immigration hearing.
More recently, there has been a shift in the actions of ICE agents whereby they have been apprehending immigrants like Chipantiza-Sisalema, without any consideration of their ongoing cases or impending court dates. This turn of events is considered by many as a blatant violation of the principle demarcating the executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government. Josue Lopez Contreras has a similar background story; he migrated from Venezuela to the U.S. legally and was amid his asylum application procedure when he was detained.
Due to the actions of ICE, detention centers at federal jails in New York City and across the United States are now welcoming immigrants into their facilities. Specifically, in New York, the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is now accommodating over 100 immigrants who have been apprehended by agents. Simultaneously, public protests against these detentions have not ceased.
The federal government has proclaimed its intent to ‘detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s large Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.’ This declaration is indeed an explosive revelation, further illuminating the enforcement campaign’s aggressive nature. Many view this campaign as an assault on the democratic rights of the entire workforce. It is perceived as a necessary measure to allow the unrestrained rule of America’s wealthiest individuals.
The oligarchy, embodied by a certain influential segment, realizes that they cannot further their agendas through democratic means. The recent victory of a distinctive candidate in the mayoral primary is symbolic of the rising wave of left-leaning sentiment amongst the younger generation and the working populace in New York and in the U.S. on the whole.
Hostility is proliferating, and its target is not only certain factions of the political parties but the political establishment itself. This establishment has maintained authority over New York City and state, as well as major cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles for numerous decades. Despite these demonstrations, the operations at 26 Federal Plaza show no signs of halting.
To counteract the attacks on immigrants and cease these negative actions, a completely distinct political approach is necessary. The working class requires mobilization based on a program which poses a challenge to the wealth and power held by the influential elites.