Long Island communities on edge amid ICE raids
Officials tell News 12 there’s been “unfortunate rhetoric” and struggling businesses as ICE raids have continued across Long Island.
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ICE raids have continued across Long Island, including earlier this week on the North Fork.
Southold Town Trustee Liz Gillooly told News 12 that as an elected official, she feels that it’s her duty to speak up “when something threatens the dignity or safety in our town,” and says she was seeing “a lot of really unfortunate rhetoric regarding the recent ICE incidents” in the town.
Gillooly said she felt that what she was seeing didn’t reflect who they (residents) are “as Southolders.”
She believes Southold is a “kind town,” one where people look out for their neighbors.
So, when something is “affecting our most vulnerable population, it’s our duty as leaders to speak out about that.”
She decided to speak out, via social media.
In a post, she said in part that she is “deeply disturbed by the rise in hate-filled language directed at our Latino neighbors. Making assumptions about someone’s immigration status based on appearance or language is not only wrong, it is dangerous. The people being targeted are part of the fabric of our community. They deserve dignity and safety, just like anyone else.”
As a result of the presence of ICE, businesses are struggling across Long Island, says Luis Lino, past president of the Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of Long Island.
He said you “feel it” at the Latino supermarket, which used to be busy and is now empty.
He said people are “afraid to go.”
