“A new immigrants’ rights campaign calls on New York to end all collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement”
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
The ICE is the second largest criminal investigative agency that is part of the U.S. government. If the city chose to stop complying with its efforts to detain and deport, I wonder what effects this would have as a precedent for other cities or as an impetus to reform their practices. It seems strange that the city could legally remove itself from their jurisdiction, in any case.
I can imagine that if NYC started complying less with the ICE, it would just continue this trend of backs turning against the ICE, as other cities, states, and counties have already been doing so, regardless of what NYC has done. Of course, it could surely be that whatever NYC does has a greater impact on other area’s decisions that what a smaller city does, and thus if NYC goes ICE-free, the changes in ICE compliance may very well occur faster.
Many argue that ICE detainers are unconstitutional because they infringe upon people’s Fourth Amendment rights to protection against “unreasonable searches and seizures.”
The ICE-Free NYC campaigned gets a lot of its supporters form family members of people who have been deported and people aware of the savage ways that the ICE searches for “victims”. As Christopher mentioned the ICE is oft times regarded as an unconstitutional agency because of its tactics and what most people view as heartlessness. As New Yorkers surrounded by so much diversity and so many immigrants it is easy to view the ICE as an agency that violates human values and innate rights. However, less liberal states would probably view the ICE-Free NYC campaign as the negative factor in all of this
In this case, looking at the decision through un-biased eyes may be the best thing to do, as different kinds of people and places have polar opinions. However, it is certainly not the easiest thing to do. On the other hand, maybe the best thing to do is to consider what is best for each specific area. While less liberal states may think that any deportable immigrants deserve to be sent away, they should take into consideration that this is NYC we are dealing with, and immigrants will forever be tied to it.
I also agree with Chris that the ICE is often in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The fact that they search jails for possible deportees seems preposterous to me. These people are already suffering consequences for whatever crime they committed and pose no harm whatsoever to society. It is complete overkill and a clear example of the corruption of the system. It is no longer about making the country a safer, better, and just place; it is now a system of filling quotas.
It also seems kinda weird to me that the city could potentially remove itself from the jurisdiction of the ICE. I wonder how much leeway the city actually has.