Filipinos join immigrants, advocates in protest of planned ICE raids

QUEENS, NY — Immigrant rights advocates and defenders took to the streets of New York City as they braced for President Donald Trump’s threatened mass deportation on Sunday.

The multi-day operation was supposed to target about 2,000 people in 10 cities who are already facing deportation as ordered by immigration courts, but have yet to leave the U.S. soil.

“I am angry and saddened by the recent acts of the Trump’s administration and like many of you that’s why I’m here today, family separation had become the cornerstone of this administration.”

But as of Sunday night, there were no reports of large enforcement operations.

New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Bill de Blasio said only 3 confirmed situations involving ICE were reported.

“In no case did the ICE agent find the individual they were looking for. And then at this hour today, literally no activity yet today. I do know this is not about the security of the people this country and it’s not about enforcing the law. This is a political act by this president.”

Immigrant rights advocate Rapi Castillo says the president’s mass deportation threats are political theater.

“Nandito po kami para protektahan ang aming mga kababayan, ang aming mag neighbors, ang aming mga kaptbahay ang aming mga communities laban sa isang napaka pasistang gobyerno na tinatarget ang mga migrante.”

Castillo says, one way of doing that is to educate the community by distributing “know your rights” information to the targetted immigrant communities, such as Queens – the most diverse neighborhood in the state.

The mass raids that President Trump warned of did not happen over the weekend in the state of New York, at least, but immigrant rights defenders say, they will continue to inform the immigrant communities of their rights while monitoring ICE activities in the coming days.