Monday’s senseless shooting of two NYPD officers, allegedly committed by 19-year-old Venezuelan immigrant Bernardo Castro Mata, is a harsh reminder of the consequences of our current sanctuary city policies.
It’s the kind of thing I’ve been warning about for years.
Our city witnesses gangs of illegal immigrants living in shelters with our money, receiving free services, and then using illegal scooters to commit crimes.
On Thursday, I and my colleagues in the Common Sense Caucus in the New York City Council will introduce legislation to repeal the laws that have made New York a sanctuary city.
We can no longer afford to import criminals or continue to protect them from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Now is the time to stand up and take decisive action: we must deport those who have no right to be here, especially those who came here to commit crimes and who may be wanted back in their home countries.
New York seems to have forgotten how ICE was created and why it was established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Initial reports indicate that Castro Mata may be part of a gang of scooter thieves terrorizing our city, robbing and assaulting residents.
Ken Gennaro, field director of ICE’s New York office, has been vocal for months about the harmful effects of city policies that prevent local authorities from working with his staff.
The Caucus met with him and heard first-hand horror stories of offenders who have detention orders in place but are protected by laws that prohibit the NYPD, Department of Corrections and Probation from honoring those orders.
This cannot continue and we owe it to residents and police to put an end to this madness.
Officer Christopher Abreu, 26, was shot in the leg and his partner, Richard Iarrusso, also 26, was shot in the front of his bulletproof vest.
Thankfully, both will recover, but it could have been a lot worse.
It could have ended like that of Laken Riley, who was brutally beaten, sexually abused and strangled to death while jogging by Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant who had been arrested twice, including in New York, but later released.
Or Jeremy Poo Caceres, a 2-year-old from Maryland who was murdered in February. Nilson Granados TrejoHe was arrested twice and ICE issued detention orders both times, but Montgomery County did not comply.
These are not isolated incidents, they are part of a dangerous pattern, and our elected leaders must wake up to the reality on the ground.
The sanctuary city religious experiment is not only unsustainable, it is dangerous.
We must put the safety of our people first, control our borders, and enforce our laws.
Those who are here illegally and involved in criminal activity must be deported without hesitation.
We are committed to making New York a safe place again.
We will advance legislation that ensures cooperation with ICE, ends sanctuary city policies, and prioritizes the safety of our residents.
Assemblyman Robert Holden (Democrat) represents the 30th District in Queens.
