Immigration enforcement (ICE) activity has been on the rise along the South Shore of Long Island. Many of these immigration arrests involve neither undocumented people nor criminals, but groups that have been delegalized through the Trump administration’s latest policies.

Two programs that were recently dismantled are Temporary Protected Status (TPS), established in 1990 by Republican President George H. W. Bush, and Humanitarian Parole, created in 1952 by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Throughout Long Island, 56,000 people are designated under TPS, and thousands more are on Humanitarian Parole and have been struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy.

“I am documented,” said Cynthia, a Bay Shore resident, whom we will refer to by this name to preserve her anonymity. “They ran my fingerprints and checked for a criminal background once I surrendered to Border Patrol. I then filed my asylum claim in Arizona and was granted Humanitarian Parole status, which requires me to do daily check-ins until my full claim is processed.”

Cynthia explained, “My mother died when I was seven, and I have been living with my aunt in El Salvador. To make money, I was doing cosmetology, but I would watch social media reels and see how I could be successful, open a business in America, and create my own destiny. This country, then and now, represents hope for a better tomorrow. Between my savings and loans from family members, I was able to pay $7,000 for a guide to help me get safe passage, walking from El Salvador to Arizona.”

“During the journey, we sometimes went without food for days and did not get drinkable water for up to a day. While walking through Mexico, the group before us was taken by the cartel and held for ransom, which, if not paid, could be killed.”

“It took 20 days, but when we saw the Catholic Aid tent at the border, I knew we would be okay. After eating a meal, I surrendered to Border Patrol. I remember how humiliated I felt because of my appearance… After going to court in October and seeing a woman tackled by five masked men in front of her kids, and taken away with her kids screaming and no one to comfort them, I feel scared to go to my check-ins. It feels like I might get kidnapped if I go outside. I am always in a state of panic.”

In response to the de-legalization status of individuals like Cynthia, Islip Forward developed a real-time ICE activity tracking and reporting system.

“It seems as if our community is being invaded by people who come in masks, unidentified cars, and, in the darkness of night orshadows of day, get taken away and deported. People are scared to leave their homes. Families are afraid to send their kids to school. The thought of who is going to take care of my children if I am taken?”

“Brentwood Schools and other districts have taken a firm stance that their facilities should be places of learning, not fear,” stated Joshua Chan, deputy director ofIslip Forward, in an interview withGreat South Bay News.“We are legally allowed to record and observe all ICE officers and activity as long as we are not obstructing an investigation. With these recordings, we have created the ICE tracker, which helps people take their best precautions to avoid areas where ICE agents are active.”

Source: LI Press