On Tuesday, officials reported that vandals wrote “FK ICE” on an American flag and damaged Republican campaign signs at a street corner in Long Island.
Nassau County police discovered two defaced flags and several vandalized signs, including one belonging to County Executive Bruce Blakeman, in Valley Stream around 2:20 p.m. on Monday.
One of the flags had an offensive message directed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is collaborating with Nassau officials as part of Blakeman’s contentious plan to address illegal immigration.
Federal agencies have faced criticism due to President Trump’s stringent approach to illegal immigration, resulting in a rise in threats and violent incidents against federal employees.
Blakeman, who is campaigning for re-election, had a sign that stated “Free Gaza.”
In addition, signs for Sheharyar Ali, a Republican running for Nassau Assembly, and incumbent Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti were also reported as targets of the vandalism, based on police-released photos.
Blakeman attributed the vandalism to Democrats, including his electoral opponent, accusing them of promoting an anti-ICE narrative.
“The anti-ICE rhetoric is driven by Democrats like my opponent Seth Coslow, who vilify federal agents striving to protect all communities, particularly the Hispanic American community in the Capital Region,” Blakeman remarked in a statement.
Coslow, the county councilman, has criticized the presence of federal agencies on Long Island, asserting they should focus solely on domestic violent criminals.
He claimed that Blakeman was attempting to associate him with the vandalism.
“Rather than blaming Democrats for the graffiti, they should concentrate on addressing Nassau’s failing 911 system, understaffed police forces, and the increasing number of neighborhoods experiencing insecurity under his administration,” a spokesperson for Coslow told the press.
“While everyone denounces vandalism, it’s not his responsibility to overlook the actual challenges facing Nassau families while trying to gain cheap political mileage.”
Nassau police encouraged anyone with information regarding the vandals to contact Squad 5 at 516-573-6553.
