His name is Luis, a mechanic who came to America from Ecuador along with his family, seeking a better life. He was ordered to appear at 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday for a court hearing on his immigration status, and came with his family to learn his fate.
The masked ICE agents were waiting for Luis as he exited from the courtroom, mere moments after the presiding judge adjourned his pending immigration case until next year. The agents took Luis into custody and ripped him away as his wife broke down and his children cried out in anguish and terror.
For Luis, whether he remains in the United States now is up to ICE. For his family, they were plunged into a world of fear and uncertainty about their future.
For all of us who read Luis’ story, featured on the cover of Wednesday’s amNewYork, we’re left to wonder whether such arrests — done in our name by government officials sworn to uphold the Constitution — are worth such trauma. Illegal immigration is a problem, but is ripping families apart really the best answer we have?
Our position is clear: Individuals who are here illegally, who have committed crimes and who pose a clear and present danger to every New Yorker have no place in New York. But those who are here illegally yet have no major crimes or convictions against their name, who are only here to provide a better life for themselves and their families, who are working and making positive contributions to our society, ought to be left alone.
It is clear that ICE, despite many public statements from its representatives, no longer makes such distinctions. The agents seem to prey most frequently on individuals who come to court without representation or are unaware of their rights; Luis was one such individual who took the chance Tuesday, came to court without a lawyer, and wound up being arrested.
Regardless of whether an immigrant abiding by court orders attends a hearing with an attorney, if their criminal records are clean, ICE should permit them to leave the court and resume their lives with their families.
Continuing this destructive enforcement policy only undermines ICE’s core national security mission and will generate further political opposition to it.
Simply put, taking nonviolent people away is not worth the trouble and the trauma. For the good of the city, the country and immigrant families, ICE must change.
