Filipino American Assemblymember Steven Raga said he is “outraged” by reports of presumed federal immigration agents returning repeatedly to Woodside in recent days and taking community members into custody, including in a reported incident Saturday near General Hart Playground.
Raga said reported activity has centered around 37th Avenue and 69th Street, an area home to many immigrant families and small businesses. His office is gathering additional information about the reported incidents, he said.
“These are our streets, our parks and the places where our families and children should be able to live their lives without fear,” Raga said in a statement.
‘Campaign of fear’
The Democratic assemblymember, whose 30th Assembly District includes Woodside, described the reported enforcement activity as a “deliberate campaign of fear and intimidation” against immigrant communities in Queens and across New York City.
“No one should have to fear that going to work, taking their child to a playground, or simply walking through their own neighborhood could end with them being taken away by masked agents,” Raga said. “Our immigrant neighbors are part of the fabric of Woodside and of New York City, and they deserve the same safety, dignity and fundamental rights as everyone else.”
Raga said he has previously joined immigrant-rights demonstrations opposing ICE enforcement tactics, including acts of civil disobedience that resulted in his arrest. He said residents would not be intimidated into silence.
“We cannot allow fear, cruelty and the abduction of our neighbors to become normalized in our city or our country,” he said. “We must continue to stand against these authoritarian abuses and uphold democracy over demagoguery, due process over fear, and the Constitution over cruelty.”
Wider concerns in Queens
Raga’s statement comes amid growing concern from immigrant advocates and elected officials about reported increases in federal immigration enforcement in Queens neighborhoods, including East Elmhurst, Corona and Woodside.
At an Aug. 17 rally in East Elmhurst, Assemblymember Larinda Hooks and other elected officials joined advocacy organizations to protest what organizers described as increased immigration enforcement in the area. Hooks said 14 pickups were reported near Astoria Boulevard and Northern Boulevard in July, compared with two in June, according to QNS.com. Community members and advocates also gathered at Corona Plaza on Aug. 10 following reports of increased enforcement activity there.
The reported Woodside activity comes as federal officials have signaled a possible increase in immigration enforcement in New York City. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Tuesday that more ICE agents could be sent to the city unless city and state leaders cooperated with the Trump administration’s immigration-enforcement efforts. Mullin said ICE had arrested 2,100 people in New York over the prior month.
Legal help and information
New Yorkers seeking immigration-related legal assistance can call 311 and ask for “Immigration Legal” to be connected to city-funded services. The New York State Office for New Americans also provides immigration and naturalization information, as well as referrals to free legal help, at 1-800-566-7636 in more than 200 languages.
City and state officials, as well as immigrant-rights groups, have encouraged residents to learn their rights and obtain legal advice from qualified immigration attorneys or accredited representatives. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James recently said New York City has expanded multilingual know-your-rights outreach and invested in legal representation for immigrants.
