After his arrest by ICE, Assemblymember Raga asks for the release of illegally detained persons at 26 Federal Plaza
By Marivir R. Montebon
September 18, New York – After Filipino American Assemblymember Steven Raga was arrested today by ICE, along with 10 New York lawmakers and officials, he called for the expulsion of ICE from New York to release all the detainees at 26 Federal Plaza.
“Our message is clear — get ICE out of New York and release all the detainees at 26 Federal Plaza. Let this moment serve as a call to action to stand together to protect our community, our city, our nation and to safeguard the principles of democracy, equity and justice for all,” the statement read.
Raga being arrested by ICE enforcers. (Photo by John Bahia)
Raga, with other officials in New York, in the hour-long stand-off with ICE at the 26 Federal Plaza. (Photo by The City magazine)
The arrest happened after an hour-long standoff with Department of Homeland Security police officers who barred the lawmakers and officials from inspecting a holding area on the 10th floor in the city’s federal building.
Raga was arrested along with City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Jabari Brisport, Gustavo Rivera and Julia Salazar and Assemblymembers Robert Carroll, Emily Gallagher, Jessica Gonzalez Rojas, Marcela Mitaynes, Steve Raga, Tony Simone and Claire Valdez.
In an earlier news report, the officials demanded access to ICE’s “shadowy holding area” on 26 Federal Plaza’s 10th floor.
Under federal law, members of Congress have an oversight authority to inspect ICE detention areas unannounced. Local lawmakers, however, do not have such authority.
The lawmakers “refused to leave the hallway outside the holding area, banging on the locked doors, and eventually sitting down to chant and sing before they were hauled off in zip times,” an earlier news report said. They were released within an hour of their arrest.
ICE and Homeland Security officials did not issue a statement regarding the arrest.
Raga issued a press statement on his arrest: “What’s happening at 26 Federal Plaza is deplorable — ICE is starving people, denying them medical care, and cramming them into cage-like conditions. No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, we can all agree that inhumane treatment of anyone in New York cannot be excused by political ideology. As Americans, we have a duty to hold the government accountable when unalienable rights are at risk. And that’s why I peacefully sat alongside my elected colleagues and religious leaders to show that us New Yorkers are not going to stand idly by as human rights and the U.S. Constitution are continuously violated. Our message is clear — get ICE out of New York and release all the detainees at 26 Federal Plaza. Let this moment serve as a call to action to stand together to protect our community, our city, our nation and to safeguard the principles of democracy, equity and justice for all. Thank you to all those who showed up today to make our voices heard."
In August, Raga told OSM! Online Magazine that his office had been quietly accompanying some of his constituents who had immigration hearings at the Federal Plaza because of fear.
Raga represents District 30 of Queens which is home the largest immigrant populations in NYC. He is the first Filipino American to get an elected seat in New York.
“People have been disappeared while going through the due process of their immigration cases. We are doing the best way we can to respond to this fear,” he said in that interview. #(With report and photo from The City)
