By SÍLE MOLONEY
STATE SEN. GUSTAVO Rivera (S.D. 33) joins members of Northwest Bronx Indivisible, Beacon and Bend the Arc on Saturday, July 18, 2026 outside Citizens’ Bank at 569 West 235th Street in the Riverdale section of The Bronx to celebrate Citizens’ Banks’s decision to cease working with the U.S. Department of Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE).
Photo courtesy of the Office of State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33)
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) joined members of Northwest Bronx Indivisible, Beacon and Bend the Arc on Saturday, July 18, outside Citizens’ Bank at 569 West 235th Street in the Riverdale section of The Bronx to protest the bank’s alleged cooperation with the U.S. Department of Immigration, Customs & Enforcement (ICE).
Northwest Bronx Indivisible is a grassroots group committed to justice, democracy, and the rule of law, one of many thousands and growing Indivisible chapters across the nation, according to its social media page.
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V1 Video by Síle Moloney
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is uniting a movement of progressive Jews and allies fighting for justice, according to its social media page and Beacon is described as a “guiding light” community organization, according to its social media page.
“Yesterday morning, I was proud to stand with neighbors in the De ICE Citizens Bank coalition to protest Citizens Bank for financing the companies building and operating detention centers,” said Rivera, who represents some or all of the Bronx neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham Manor, Belmont, University Heights, Morris Heights, Little Yemen, Allerton, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Spuyten Duyvil, Fieldston, Riverdale, and North Riverdale.
“I stand in solidarity with those of us resisting ICE’s terrorizing and kidnapping of our community members which includes standing up to the for-profit companies complicit in their violence.”
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V2 Video by Síle Moloney
The senator went on to reference two Americans killed by ICE agents earlier this week, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas and Johan Duran Guerrero in Maine respectively. “We grieve with their loved ones for their senseless loss,” he said.
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V3 Video by Síle Moloney
The senator continued, “All of us are endangered by ICE’s lawless actions and our resistance and protest is critical. That’s why just last Friday, Citizens Bank announced they would exit agreements with CoreCivic and GEO Group.”
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V4 Video by Síle Moloney
He added, “There is still more work to be done to abolish ICE and hold their enablers accountable, so I am encouraged and grateful that there are leaders in my own neighborhood leading the charge.”
Norwood News reached out to Citizens’ Bank for comment. We did not receive an immediate response but will share any feedback we receive.
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V5 Video by Síle Moloney
As reported, at least two people in the Norwood and Bedford Park neighborhoods refused medical attention several times this week (one finally agreed) after both were injured and seen bleeding from the head due to suspected fears over U.S. Department of Customs Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) actions, if they accepted medical assistance.
A MAN IS seen on the corner of East Gun Hill Road and Putnam Place in the Norwood section of The Bronx on Saturday night, July 18, 2026, with a blood-stained shirt, a stab wound to his shin and one to his head.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Following media reports on Thursday, July 16, that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could start weighing immigrants’ use of Medicaid, food and housing help in green card decisions in the future, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani later said, “To every New Yorker: this rule is not yet in effect. The earliest it could take effect is Sept. 18, 2026. New York City will use every tool at our disposal to fight this attack on immigrant families and the communities that make our city the greatest on earth.”
He added, “For any questions, please call @NYCImmigrants Legal Support Hotline at 1-800-354-0365.”
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V6 Video by Síle Moloney
The same day, CBS News reported that plainclothes ICE officers approached and attempted to detain 57-year-old Phu Nguyen at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Monday, July 13. “After bystanders approached the scuffle, the agents left the scene without arresting Nguyen, but still handcuffed on one wrist,” the news outlet reported.
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V7 Video by Síle Moloney
“ICE posted on X that agents eventually detained Nguyen at Los Angeles International Airport the next day. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Nguyen is an Australian citizen who was born in Vietnam and overstayed a visa that expired in 2015,” CBS added. Video of the incident can be watched here.
Hands Off NYC Press Conference, Williamsbridge Oval, Norwood, The Bronx, May 22, 2026 V8 Video by Síle Moloney
On Sunday, July 19, The New York Times reported that federal agents were allegedly told that the F.B.I. will no longer investigate ICE confrontations with civilians.
On May 22, Hands Off NYC held a press conference in the Williamsbridge Oval park in Norwood to draw let residents fearful of ICE know that help is available, should they need it. Some videos from the press conference are attached.
Read some of our prior ICE coverage here and here.