ICE Raids Come to Fordham Heights
by David Greene
With the Trump Administrations three executive orders issued on January 30, the crackdown on illegal immigrants is now in full swing as residents at one Fordham Heights building claim a team of heavily armed ICE agents stormed the 5-story building in search of a suspected illegal immigrant, only to leave without a arrest.
Shortly before dawn on April 9, the team of agents arrived at the Loring Place North and West Fordham Road apartment building, one resident recalled, “My neighbor said I shouldn’t have let them in, but they were standing there with guns and a video camera.”
A team of heavily armed ICE agents raided a Fordham Heights apartment building a day after a police stop along West Fordham Road by plain clothes officers.–Photo by David Greene
The resident recalled, “Actually I was up cooking and I asked if they came for some sword fish and fried dumplings. And there was a lot of them and one came in and was taping me,” as they asked questioned the source about their suspect.
The witnesses continued, “Yes, they showed me a picture of a goofy looking man. I didn’t ask any questions, but they showed me the picture. But I don’t understand why they only came to two apartments and no one else in the building.”
Since the executive orders, The Legal Aid Society has issued two documents on the subject since the crackdown began, the first is a 4-page document that details the three executive orders signed by President Trump: The Interior Enforcement Law, which allows for the deportation of illegal immigrants who’ve been charged with a crime. The Order Excluding Muslims and Others, which cuts previously approved immigration of refugees by more than half, from a President Barack Obama Proposed 110,000 to 50,000 and The Border Security and Deportation Order that increases scrutiny of asylum seekers and ends the “catch and release” policy that now calls for detention of anyone who enters the country illegally.
The second document produced by the Legal Aid Society is titled, “Emergency Plan in case of Detention or Deportation,” and advises those afraid of deportation, “If an officer arrives at you home, they can only enter with a search warrant.” Those documents can be found at the Legal Aid Society’s website at: www.legalaidnyc.org.
Ice Agents and NYPD plain clothes officers made no arrests after two recent incidents in Fordham Heights.–Photo by David Greene
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) issued a 2-page document that has a question and answers portion as they detail as many raids and deportations as possible. Those interested in that document can visit their website at: www.immdefense.org/ice-arrests.
Meanwhile a group of undercover officers resembling the once feared street crime unit that had been disband since the 1999 shooting death of unarmed civilian Amadou Diallo, were spotted making a traffic stop at West Fordham Road and Loring Place North, just one day before the ICE raid.
Officials at One Police Plaza would only state that no arrests were made during that traffic stop.
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