Brooklyn City Council Members and immigration advocates on Wednesday condemned the Trump administration's mass deportation tactics and the expedited removal of immigrants from city courthouses.
Council Members Susan Zhuang and Farah Louis took to the steps of City Hall to denounce Trump's travel bans and deportation measures and called out the expanding authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain individuals without due process and without warning.
“America using immigrants for cheap labor and then hating them is a move older than the dial-up phone,” said Zhuang.
The United States used Chinese immigrants to build the Transcontinental Railroad and then passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, preventing them from entering America and from working, Zhuang said. In addition, the Bracero Program recruited Mexican immigrant workers and then deported them en masse.
The slave trade forced Africans to the U.S. to run the country's economy, and then America created Jim Crow laws, Zhuang said.
"All of this hurt our economy, decreasing wages, tax revenue and slowed economic growth. America does this over and over again and expects different outcomes - that’s the definition of insanity," she said.
President Trump’s travel bans and mass deportation tactics are a direct attack on our values as New Yorkers and as Americans, Louis said.
“These policies separate families, target the innocent, and criminalize entire communities," she added. "As immigrants and allies speak out, it is our duty to protect their rights and preserve New York City as a true sanctuary. We will not be intimidated. We will continue to fight for justice, dignity, and due process for all.”
City Council Members Sandra Ung, Chris Banks, Nantasha Williams, Mercedes Narcisse, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Julie Menin, Crystal Hudson and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also attended the rally.
Deborah Lee, attorney-in-charge of the Immigration Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said she was alarmed by reports of overcrowding, extreme heat, and migrants sleeping on the floor at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building’s detention facility.
"The Trump administration must end these arrests, ensure due process and address the abuse and neglect occurring inside immigration detention centers,“ she said.
Representatives from the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, National Domestic Workers Alliance, United Chinese Association of Brooklyn, Haitians United for Progress, Homecrest Community Services, and Better Brooklyn Association also attended the rally.
Tensions are running high across the country, as the nation braces for a national No Kings protest day against Trump's various policies on Saturday.
Protests in Manhattan's Foley Square continued for the third day on Wednesday, amid police arrests of over 80 individuals who condemned the Trump administration's mass deportation tactics.
Sweat dripped from the foreheads of protesters, as most wore face masks to cover their identities. Many chanted “From Palestine to Mexico,” and “How do you spell racism I - C - E.”
Additional reporting by Emma Delahanty.
