QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — Advocates and residents in New York City are drawing attention to and calling for the end of increased ICE enforcement in the borough with the highest number of immigrants in the city.
In the last two weeks, ICE has increased its presence in Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, College Point and Corona, Queens, according to immigrant rights groups and elected officials on Monday.
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“Over the past few weeks ICE has been ramping up its presence in our neighborhoods. Unsurprisingly, they are targeting Queens, the most diverse place in the world and a borough where half of the residents were born in another country,” said Civil Rights and Immigration Lead Organizer Luba Cortés of Make the Road New York during a rally on Monday.
“We must look out for each other and continue to protect our community in the face of this violence.”
A map from the New York City Department of Planning and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office shows that populations in many Queens neighborhoods are made up of 50% or more immigrants. Among them are Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Flushing and College Point, many of the same neighborhoods that elected officials have noted as having increased ICE presence.
“In New York, we will not be intimidated into silence. We will defend our neighbors, protect our immigrant families, and fight like hell for a future where every person—regardless of immigration status—can live safely, freely, and with dignity,” said Assembly Member González-Rojas, who represents District 34.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
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