A few days ago, I was returning home on 146th Street in Harlem when three ICE agents swooped by me and accosted a young man. He was as stunned as I was, and one of them flashed a photo supposedly of him on their cell phone.
When I began closing in on the situation, concerned that he might be roughed up, one of the agents stepped in front of me and advised me to keep my distance. I obeyed, moved a few steps away, but began recording the encounter on my phone. Once more, he approached me and asked me to stop recording. I moved further away but continued recording.
After being convinced that the photo they had was not the man they apprehended, they walked away. He was still a bit shaken as he walked with me toward a nearby building where he lived. “I told them I was an American citizen and showed them my identification,” he explained. “I have no idea why they believed I looked like the man they were looking for.”
I never got the young man’s name, but earlier that morning, I had read an article about how the Department of Homeland Security had diverted agents from their normal duties and focused on arresting undocumented immigrants. Fortunately, this young man, unlike thousands who have been detained, was able to make it home safely, though visibly upset.
I wondered to what degree he had been accosted before and how prepared he was to avoid being taken into custody. During the stop, he remained calm and presented his ID. He did not run away, they did not search him, and it was a good example of how immigrants should conduct themselves when forced to endure such encounters.
It was also a lesson for me.
These articles are very needed !!!