Brooklyn District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez; (right) and New York State Attorney General, Letitia James.
Associated Press / Mary Altaff er
Caribbean Life, June 12-18, 2020 3
By Nelson A. King
The faith community in Brooklyn
last Sunday joined calls for justice,
police reform and end to all forms of
racism at a “Let Me Breathe” March
and Prayer Rally.
The event was organized by pastors
of churches in Flatbush and
East Flatbush, as well as community
leaders, in solidarity and support of
George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and
countless others whose lives were
lost by police.
As protestors marched from
Church and Utica avenues to the
steps of Grace Deliverance Tabernacle,
at 650 Remsen Ave., in the
Canarsie section of Brooklyn, echoes
of the united calls could be heard
through the streets of Brooklyn.
Along the route, male and female
clergy, of various ages and races, led
the crowd with prayers, declarations
and chants of “A people united will
never be defeated,” “No Justice No
Peace,” “Enough is enough” and
“Black Lives Matter.”
Elected officials and election candidates
of the East Flatbush community
were on hand, including
Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke;
City Comptroller Scott Stringer;
Council Members Farah Louis and
Alicka Samuel; Assembly Members
Nick Perry and Latrice Walker; and
District Leader Corey Provost.
Organizers said the march was
also well-supported by youths of the
community.
Their voices were heard through
two youths of East Flatbush Village,
who passionately addressed the
rally.
The Blue Angels Drumline is
another youth group that participated
and helped to keep protestors
in step with rhythmic beats
throughout the march.
By Nelson A. King
New York Attorney General, Letitia
James and Brooklyn District Attorney
Eric Gonzalez on Tuesday won a major
victory against the Trump Administration
that prevents the administration’s
practice of arresting Caribbean and other
immigrants in and around New York state
courthouses in a manner that interferes
with the state’s administration of justice.
Judge Jed Rakoff of the US District
Court for the Southern District of New
York granted Attorney General James and
Gonzalez’s motion for summary judgment
to immediately end the Trump
Administration’s policy that allowed US
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) agents to interfere with New York
State case proceedings.
“Our victory over the Trump Administration’s
over-policing policies ensures the
important work happening in local courts
will continue undeterred without the targeting
of immigrants seeking access to
our courts,” James said.
“By allowing federal agents to interfere
with state and local cases, the Trump
Administration endangered the safety of
every New Yorker, while targeting immigrants,”
she added. “All New Yorkers —
immigrant or not — can sleep better
tonight knowing justice can continue to
be carried out.”
James thanked Gonzalez for his “invaluable
partnership in bringing this lawsuit
forward and fighting for New York’s immigrant
community.”
Gonzalez said that, for more than three
years, he has been calling on ICE to stop
its “unconscionable practice of conducting
immigration raids in and around
our courthouses because they jeopardize
public safety.
“But the Trump Administration only
escalated this unlawful and dangerous
tactic, creating a chilling effect in immigrant
communities, which discouraged
victims and witnesses from reporting
crimes and participating in the legal process,”
he said.
Gonzalez said he joined James in filing
a federal lawsuit to bring this practice to
an end.
“So, I am extremely gratified that US
District Judge Rakoff today agreed and
enjoined ICE from making those arrests,
finding that it was a violation of longstanding
practices, of their own policies,
and interfered with the administration of
justice,” he said.
“Allowing every resident equal access
to our justice system is crucially important
and necessary for maintaining fairness
and public safety,” Gonzalez added.
Last September, James and Gonzalez
filed a lawsuit against ICE and the US
Department of Homeland Security, challenging
the legality of the federal government’s
expanded policy of arresting Caribbean
and other immigrants in or around
state courthouses.
James said the suit sought to halt
a three-year pattern of civil immigration
arrests by federal ICE agents in and
around state courts, “which have caused
a major disruption to state court operations.”
By targeting witnesses and victims for
arrests, she said noncitizens and immigrants
are deterred from assisting in state
and local law enforcement efforts or protecting
their own rights in court.
As a result, the New York Attorney
General said valid prosecutions have been
“abandoned — or never pursued — making
communities less safe.”
After James and Gonzalez filed their
lawsuit, President Trump and his Administration
immediately filed a motion to
dismiss the lawsuit.
But, in December, Judge Rakoff denied
the motion, saying, “Courts cannot be
expected to function properly if third parties
(not least the executive branch of the
government) feel free to disrupt the proceedings
and intimidate the parties and
witnesses by staging arrests for unrelated
civil violations in the courthouse, on court
property, or while the witnesses or parties
are in transit to or from their court
proceedings.”
Earlier this year, both sides in the case
asked the district court to rule expeditiously
in the case; and, last month, the
court heard oral arguments on both plaintiffs’
and defendants’ motions for summary
judgment.
Separately, James led a coalition of
attorneys general in filing an amicus brief
in a Washington lawsuit against the US
Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
ICE, and US Customs and Border Protection
(CBP), in January, over these three
agencies’ practice of arresting Caribbean
and other noncitizens without a judicial
warrant or court order in and around state
courthouses in the State of Washington.
Clergy leading prayer at “Let Me
Breathe Rally” in Brooklyn.
Pastor Gilford T. Monrose
Major victory against Trump’s policy of
arresting immigrants at state courthouses
Faith leaders
call for police
reform and
end to racism