The mother of Dylan Contreras, the student detained by ICE in May, wept outside of 26 Federal Plaza, begging for the return of her son as thousands marched in protest of Trump’s immigration policy.
Raiza, the 20-year-old’s mother, said that due to the stress of her son’s arrest, she has been forced to wear a heart monitor. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded for the return of her son.
“It’s been two months since my son was kidnapped right in front of our eyes as we were leaving the courtroom, and I couldn’t do anything to help him,” Raiza said. “He continues to suffer in detention. The conditions in those detention centers are not good. There is a lot of mistreatment, and many times the food is spoiled.”
These comments came directly before a large-scale protest convened in Lower Manhattan’s Foley Square condemning President Trump and his immigration policy that is leading to the arrest of immigrants as they attend their mandatory court hearings, exactly what befell Contreras.
Taking place in honor of the fifth anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’ death and looking to build upon his legacy of activism, the demonstration sought to push back against the Trump Administration for escalating ICE tactics in immigration court. Those leading the charge included the likes of Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of New York Immigration Coalition, mother of Eric Garner, Gwen Carr, in addition to Raiza.
“It’s not easy to live with fear, worry and despair and not being able to do anything for my son while trying to remain strong for my other two babies, who desperately await the return of their brother,” Raiza added. “Through it all, I still have faith that God will bring forth justice and touch the hearts of those people that are against the immigrants.”
This comes after weeks of amNewYork documenting troubling incidents of violent arrests inside of both 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. On June 17, City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by the Feds while escorting people from their court proceedings and held against his will for several hours. On July 8 a six-year-old girl was left asking “Where’s my daddy?” after ICE took him into custody, separating him from his family. On July 15, a man suffered an apparent medical episode as the masked agents grabbed him and pulled him into a stairwell where he could be seen lying on the ground before the door was closed and he was taken out of sight. On July 16, a man left court only for them both to be violently manhandled in a chaotic scrum that included court observers and law enforcement.
Thousands gathered in Foley Square and marched through the roadways until they convened on 26 Federal Plaza, where they all sat on the road and took in a moment of silence on behalf of all those who have been taken by ICE while attending court hearings.
