Mayor de Blasio: ‘We Do Not Want ICE In This City’
When asked Monday to respond to reports that ICE agents were present in Brooklyn to support the New York Police Department amid violent riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he had no knowledge of the incident, adding that he would never personally ‘welcome’ agents into the city.
“I would not let ICE agents anywhere in the official capacity in New York City, except for what they’re allowed to do on their own. I’ve said ICE agents are not welcome in our public buildings. I have no knowledge and really don’t believe that happened. If anyone has evidence of it, I need to know it,” de Blasio said.
"We do not want ICE in this city."
— @BilldeBlasio pic.twitter.com/q4QoAFIoRz
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 8, 2020
He continued, “We do not want ICE in this city. And the times when they have come forward trying to get into a city building, for example, they’ve been told only if they have warrants and the law department approves it. So we’ve been very consistent about that.”
‼️ ALERT ‼️ ICE is showing up at NYC protests: On Wednesday, this man was walking with protestors when 5 agents jumped out of a van with guns drawn & threw him to the ground, 1 wearing a POLICE/HSI (division of ICE) vest. This man is a US citizen of Puerto Rican descent. pic.twitter.com/aADNiQG1Co
— Immigrant Defense Project (@ImmDefense) June 5, 2020
A video posted to social media by an immigration rights group last week appeared to show an immigration official arresting what appeared to be a protestor. HSI New York spokesperson Rachael Yong Yow told TIME Magazine that the agents were supporting the work of local law enforcement and that the incident wasn’t immigration related.
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