Photo courtesy of State Sen. Gustavo Rivera
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) and City Comptroller Brad Lander, appeared in federal court on Nov. 18 in relation to their arrests on Sept. 18, along with several other elected officials, inside or near 26 Federal Plaza courthouse in Lower Manhattan for their respective acts of civil disobedience against immigration agents. As reported, the group had been protesting the treatment of immigrants during their court appearances by immigration agents. An anti-ICE [U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement] protest had also taken place near 26 Federal Plaza the same day [Sept. 18].
On Nov. 20, Rivera provided an update on his Nov. 18 appearance, writing, “On Sept. 18, I was arrested alongside a group of my colleagues, demanding to see the conditions that many New Yorkers are being subjected to at 26 Federal Plaza. As a result of this arrest, I was given an Adjournment in Contemplation Dismissal (ACD) in accordance with the law.”
He continued, “The irony of this does not escape me. While my colleagues and I were fortunate enough to be afforded due process, many of our neighbors are not being granted the same constitutional rights. As I have said before, I was incredibly proud to take this action not only as a legislator but as a New Yorker. The fight does not stop here, and I will continue to work legislatively and on the ground to protect our immigrant communities from the cruelty of this federal administration.”
Meanwhile, as reported by The City publication, Lander rejected the offer to drop his case and has reportedly sought a federal trial for his “act of civil disobedience” case.
As reported, Rivera was back, once again, at 26 Federal Plaza on Sept. 25, along with Lander. “Thank you @brad.lander for standing with our migrant community and for bringing me along to observe immigration court proceedings,” he later wrote.
He continued, “New Yorkers’ rights are under attack and so many families are terrified to appear at their hearings fearing that they will be abducted and disappeared. Thankfully, many New Yorkers are volunteering to support and keep their eyes on the court. Aquí estamos y no nos vamos. [Here we are and we will not leave.]”
Lander had said in part earlier the same day, “We want ICE out of New York City. We won’t stop showing up until they stop abducting our neighbors.”
The comptroller added, “Seconds earlier, her husband had been abducted by masked ICE agents who did not identify themselves, did not present a warrant, did not give any lawful grounds for his detention.”
While condemning political violence and the shooting at an ICE facility that had taken place in Texas earlier the same week, Lander said that nonetheless masked ICE agents in Manhattan were acting violently against New Yorkers “illegally abducting them, holding them in cruel and inhumane conditions,” and “treating them as less-than-human, and not deserving due process.”
Together with Rivera, Lander added, “We will not stop bearing witness, stop condemning them, or stop doing all we can to stand up to this lawless behavior.”
Image courtesy of City Comptroller Brad Lander
Norwood News reached out to ICE for comment on the incident during which the woman was thrown to the floor and received the following response from an ICE spokesperson: “The officer’s conduct in this video is unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE. Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation.”
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.