Happy Valentine’s Day: ICE out of Rikers
The Immigrant Defense Project offers us an out-of-the-box reason for celebrating this Valentine’s Day.
For decades, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has used its office trailer on Rikers Island, one of the world’s largest jails, as a base for funneling thousands of New Yorkers into a mass detention and deportation machine that tears apart families and violates human rights.
February 14, 2015 is the first day that ICE’s office trailer on Rikers Island will officially be shut down. Thanks to years of advocacy by the ICE out of Rikers Coalition and the leadership of Mayor DeBlasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito, in October New York City passed legislation sending ICE packing from Rikers and limiting other City collaboration with federal deportation programs. While other parts of the law took effect in December, ICE’s official move-out date is 2.14.15.
KJ