Last week, a campaign called ICE-Free NYC commenced. Its goal is to have City Hall no longer work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or at least not work with it so firmly. This agency looks for people to deport, such as by searching jails, and issues detainers which have local law enforcement keep immigrants in jail past their scheduled release date under the possibility that they will be deported. This is a troubling issue, as detainment often results in paranoia for the immigrants—some of whom have not even done an act deserving deportation. They may grow a lack of trust in the police, and may constantly live in fear of being held again—and this time deported. Other states, cities, and counties have suspected similar worries may arise among immigrants and have thus weakened their following of the ICE and its requests. If these other places that don’t even have as much contact with immigrants as NYC are making such considerations, why isn’t NYC? Well in fact, the New York City Council did pass legislation twice to follow suit, but still, a vast majority of ICE requests were fulfilled and over 3,000 immigrants were brought to federal immigration authorities. Mayor de Blasio denies that there is an issue with NYC’s relationship with the ICE however, and claims that the number of immigrants brought to federal immigration authorities has actually been curtailed. If the mayor does not believe there is even an issue for the ICE-Free NYC to worry about, how far can this campaign go?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/advocates-city-freeze-ice-article-1.1776442