Immigrant Families Share Heartbreaking Stories at NYC Council Hearing on ICE Collaboration

Community members expressed deep concerns about their interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a New York City Council Immigration Committee hearing on December 8, 2025. Testimonies highlighted the trauma that many immigrants experience when local agencies allegedly collaborate with ICE, exacerbating fears of deportation and family separation.

Jennifer, an immigrant mother, described a harrowing ordeal after the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) shared her confidential information with ICE without her knowledge. While seeking therapy for her children in a shelter, Jennifer unwittingly became a target of an ICE investigation, which culminated in her detention. She recounted how she was mocked by an ICE officer during her arrest, leading to further trauma that continues to affect her family. “I am here to reveal these injustices,” she stated, emphasizing the need for city officials to protect families from such local agency collusion (Source: https://youtu.be/VEa9oAEohQQ&t=3394).

Several other advocates echoed similar sentiments, voicing the urgent need for legislative measures to prevent such violations. Britney Brown, a supervising attorney at New York County Defender Services, underscored the increased fear within immigrant communities, citing that recent actions by local agencies have led to dangerous breaches of sanctuary laws. Advocates called for the passage of the New York City Trust Act, aimed at holding agencies accountable for their role in shaping policies that lead to deportations and family separations (Source: https://youtu.be/VEa9oAEohQQ&t=15282).

The fear instilled by ICE’s presence was evident in the testimonies of many community members. Jenna, an immigration case worker, noted the terror that immigrant families face even when attending court, fearing they could be apprehended. She remarked on the detrimental impact this fear has on community members, preventing them from accessing necessary services, including healthcare (Source: https://youtu.be/VEa9oAEohQQ&t=15346). “Families with little children face gut-wrenching choices because of ICE showing up at public places,” she lamented.

Advocates also linked these interactions to a broader pattern of systemic issues facing immigrant communities. In earlier coverage of a previous meeting, city officials discussed the alarming spike in ICE activity and the need for stronger legislative protections, highlighting public sentiment that sanctuary laws are not sufficiently enforced or respected (Source: https://getlocalpost.com/2025/01/17/accountability-for-sanctuary-violations-on-agenda-as-nyc-officials-discuss-protecting-immigrants/).

As the hearing concluded, participants maintained a call for comprehensive reforms to ensure immigrant protections. They urged the council to act promptly to improve accountability measures for local agencies, emphasizing that the well-being of New York City’s diverse communities depends on protective legislative action (Source: https://youtu.be/VEa9oAEohQQ&t=14874).