![\"Gov.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_1742-rotated-e1788281055525.jpg\")
Gov. Kathy Hochul, left, with Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman during a press conference outside R&R West Indian Cuisine on Church Avenue in Brooklyn.Nelson A. King<\/p>\n
The legislation prohibits New York State and local law enforcement agencies and local governments from entering into or maintaining 287(g) agreements with ICE for federal civil immigration enforcement and requires any agreements in place to be terminated by Aug. 25, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault has refused to terminate its 287(g) agreement.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Following an unprecedented escalation in aggressive Trump administration immigration enforcement, Hochul said she has been fighting to protect New Yorkers from federal actions that \u201cindiscriminately target\u201d Caribbean and other immigrant communities.<\/p>\n
In addition, among other things, the governor established a state law under which New Yorkers can bring a lawsuit against federal, state and local government officials for a violation of their constitutional rights, and keep immigration authorities out of sensitive locations.<\/p>\n
In her continuing campaign stops in the Caribbean community in Brooklyn, on Aug. 19, Hochul joined Brooklyn State Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud during Persaud\u2019s Fun Day and Back-to-School Giveaway at Canarsie Park on Seaview Avenue in Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Guyanese-born legislator, who represents the 19th Senate District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life that the governor attended the event to present two fundraising checks:\u00a0 $4.2 million to StartCare to expand primary care and behavioral health services, and $2 million to the New York City Housing Authority to renovate the community center at Breukelen Houses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual SD-19 Fun Day and Back-to-School Giveaway serves as a great resource for the community,\u201d Persaud told Caribbean Life. \u201cIt allows my team and me to connect with constituents and ensure that children in our community have the tools they need and are ready to head back to school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must thank the organizations who partnered with me to distribute 600 backpacks with supplies to excited children,\u201d she added. \u201cIt was great to see children and families enjoying this great free event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hochul said: \u201cStrong communities depend on having quality healthcare and welcoming spaces where families can access the services and support they need.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThese investments will help StartCare expand critical health services for Brooklyn residents and strengthen the Breukelen Houses Community Center for the families who rely on it,\u201d she added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following the giveaway, the governor said she and Persaud joined representatives from StartCare and Breukelen Houses to announce the two investments.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Governor\u2019s Office has been receptive since day one of my advocating for these much-needed projects,\u201d Persaud said. \u201cAs a result, both StartCare and the Breukelen Houses Community Center will have significantly improved facilities to deliver essential programs and services to my constituents. Thank you, Governor Hochul.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Hochul greeted merchants on Utica Avenue on Saturday, one passerby exclaimed: \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful that she comes to our community at a time like this. Thanks for looking out for us!\u201d<\/p>\n
During the press conference, minutes before, Chandler-Waterman said the governor is \u201cdoing a good job\u201d and \u201cbelieves in putting people first.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOur older adults are first, our Caribbean families are first, our youth, our families are first,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to move forward, not backward\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to that, [Hochul] is being very bashful,\u201d Chandler-Waterman added. \u201cDownstate Hospital is what? Open. Why is it open? $1 billion dollars to make sure it\u2019s rebuilt. And Utica Crescent, 322 units, black-owned, minority-owned developers, and also the management.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people say, \u2018I got in.\u2019 A lot of people are standing here today that [sic who] live in Utica Crescent because of the governor and her voice,\u201d Chandler-Waterman continued. \u201cWe don\u2019t have to look on TV and dream about what\u2019s happening. We have [Governor Hochul] here in the flesh. She said, \u2018I\u2019m going to come to Little Caribbean to speak to our people on the ground and hear what\u2019s going on.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
Community and political activist Ernest Skinner told Caribbean Life that, \u201cnot unexpectedly, I had to reason with an elderly Black Caribbean woman whom I overheard spouting the tired refrain that we only see the politicians at election time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made her aware of the ribbon-cutting at the 322 units; 100% affordable housing development; Utica Crescent, at 561 Utica Avenue that Governor Hochul did much earlier this year,\u201d said the Trinidadian. \u201cI went on to tell her of the $1 billion investment that Governor Hochul made for the rehabilitation of SUNY Downstate Hospital, which has a heavy Caribbean patient load.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Trinidadian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_1747.jpg\")
Trinidadian community and political activist Ernest Skinner, far left, with Gov. Kathy Hochul, second from right, front, and community residents in \u201cLittle Caribbean.\u201dNelson A. King<\/p>\n
\u201cMuch to my surprise at the interaction with the press at the end of the tour, both the governor and Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman cited these investments,\u201d Skinner added. \u201cComing on the heels of Mayor Mamdani\u2019s tour of Little Caribbean and his participation in the 2025 WIADCA (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) parade, this signals that the politicians recognize the potential influence of the Caribbean community in Brooklyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we as Caribbean people need to do is come together and strategies\u2019 on how best to leverage our access,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe have to be engaged and vigilant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wayne Ragguette, the Vincentian-born owner of Nonie Health Food Store, who is also a community activist and political consultant, applauded Hochul\u2019s tour on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a nice gesture,\u201d he told Caribbean Life. \u201cAnd I hope, if she wins re-election, she brings more investment in the East Flatbush community.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really nice for her to come,\u201d Ragguette added. \u201cIt\u2019s nice for her to see the East Flatbush\/Church Avenue Business District and what she can do to help it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the heels of her recent visit to the Caribbean community in Brooklyn, during which she stopped at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":335082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-335081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/335082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}