STATEN ISLAND, NY — A few dozen protesters waving signs and American flags lined a stretch of Victory Boulevard outside the office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis in Castleton Corners on Saturday.
The protesters said they were gathered to support Sara, a recent Port Richmond High School graduate allegedly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, while working at a warehouse earlier this month. According to attendees, Sara now awaits a court hearing to fight for her right to remain in the United States and has had little to no contact with her family.
The protest was supported by Staten Island Action Coalition, a group of residents whose goal is to turn their concerns into effective actions and improve solidarity.(Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro)
The protest remained peaceful and was overseen by the NYPD, who set up barriers and guided the flow of traffic.(Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro)
Organizers urged those at the rally to call on Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn in Congress, to defend the dignity and safety of the immigrant community.
After reading a speech Sara reportedly wrote about her time in school, a protestor stated: “She appreciates what this country gave to her. She expresses it so well. She’s so appreciative to her teachers and to America. She’s what everybody wants for their neighbor to be and it breaks my heart that this is what they’re going after. They’re not just going after violent criminals.”
Organizers urged those at the rally to call on Rep. Nicole Malliotakis to defend the dignity and safety of the immigrant community.(Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro)
Another attendee agreed, adding that Sara was an honors student in school and is a beloved neighbor.
“It’s especially personal when a neighbor or someone in your community is targeted … we’re not going to tolerate that. That makes it that much more personal,” said a protester, explaining they live near the alleged detainee. “When it’s someone who hasn’t done anything wrong, who you know is a good person, who you know is a young person. We want to sit in solidarity.”
The protest was supported by Staten Island Action Coalition, a group of residents whose goal is to turn their concerns into effective actions and improve solidarity in the borough. Saturday’s rally was one of many events the organization has held recently outside Malliotakis’ office.
“We have demonstrated outside this office for months and months about this issue,” said Laura McCarthy, one of the founders of the coalition. “When we heard about this, we were horrified by the idea that a teenager would be taken in, because if anybody thought about your own teenage kid sitting in a cell with 15 other women with nothing but the clothes on her back, it’s horrifying.”
“It’s especially personal when a neighbor or someone in your community is targeted …,” said a protestor.(Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro)
“When we heard about this, we were horrified by the idea that a teenager would be taken in …,” said said Laura McCarthy, one of the founders of the Staten Island Action Coalition. (Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro)
The protest remained peaceful and was overseen by the NYPD, who set up barriers and guided the flow of traffic.
In response to the event, Taylor Weyeneth, Malliotakis’ chief of staff, issued the following statement:
“This is the first our office is hearing about the case. We do not know the facts surrounding this detainment, and no one from the detained individual’s family has contacted us about it.”
Attendees could not confirm the student’s full name or details about her detainment.
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