On Tuesday the following City Council members issued this statement about the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency: Aidee Nieves, Maria Valle, Eneida Martinez, Maria Viggiano, Denese-Taylor Moye, Jeanette Herron. They were joined by City Clerk Lydia Martinez.
Yesterday, we were informed of an incident involving ICE officers detaining a Bridgeport resident. This resident, who is undocumented, left his home to go to work when ICE officers, traveling in an unmarked vehicle, pulled him over and detained him. To our knowledge at this time, this individual has no criminal record and was detained simply due to his undocumented status.
Bridgeport is a “Welcoming City” through a resolution passed by the City Council back in 2017. As part of this resolution, we, as a city, agreed to offer no support or coordination with immigration officials wishing to detain Bridgeport residents. We have residents in our city right now who are terrified to leave their homes and go about their daily lives because they are afraid of having their lives destroyed and their families torn apart by ICE. We cannot allow our city to be terrorized and pushed into the shadows. The Council will be working with the Mayor, the Bridgeport Police Department, as well as state and federal elected officials to ensure that we do everything we can to prevent another incident like yesterday’s from occurring again.
Furthermore, this incident highlights a serious public safety issue. ICE officers pulled over this resident in an unmarked SUV. Images of this vehicle were widely shared on social media. It becomes a public safety issue if residents are afraid to pull over their vehicles for local law enforcement operating in marked and unmarked cars. In not complying, they put themselves, their fellow residents, and Bridgeport police officers in danger. As we have seen across the country, ICE’s actions have long-lasting, negative implications for local law enforcement’s ability to keep everyone in our community safe.
The City Council and Dick Blumenthal are about to find out how little power you really have…….. This is Federal “Big boy law” and you can be outraged all you want…. Furthermore, what’s wrong with using “unmarked vehicles “? BPD has used them forever and no one was ever outraged! Just ask a local drug dealer if you don’t believe me.
What people do to get votes around here sickens me!!
Have a nice day !
It was nice that City Council members issued this statement about the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency: Aidee Nieves, Maria Valle, Eneida Martinez, Maria Viggiano, Denese-Taylor Moye, Jeanette Herron and they were joined by City Clerk Lydia Martinez. Where are the men and this statement is late in coming. The Bridgeport City Council was played by Mayor Ganim:
“Bridgeport: A ‘Sanctuary City,’ Just Don’t Call It That”
By Davis Dunavin • Apr 28, 2017
https://www.wshu.org/post/bridgeport-sanctuary-city-just-don-t-call-it#stream/0
This past Sunday in church a member made it know to everyone that ICE took action against someone Saturday night at the Greene Apartments on Saturday night. Below is a post that I made on OIB with a statement in English and Spanish that should be given to ALL Immigrants.
Ron Mackey says:
July 14, 2019 at 9:25 pm
For residents of Bridgeport and anywhere in America, when and a ICE agent comes to your dwelling:
“I do not consent to your entry into this dwelling, I want to remain silent, and I wish to speak to my attorney before speaking with you. If you have a warrant authorizing entry into this dwelling, please slide it under the door for my inspection. Thank you.”
“No permit a su entrada en esta casa. Deseo seguir guar silencio y deseo hablar con mi abogado antes de hablar con usted. Si usted tiene una orden a que le que autorice entrar en esta casa, por favor pasarla por debajo de la Puerta. Gracias.”
I wish they cared about the taxpayers of Bpt as much as they do about the illegals living here.
Too many are forgetting that ICE is looking for people that have broken the law. The majority of undocumented immigrants fall into two categories:
1, they came here on a tourist visa and never went back home because, let’s face it, America is a lot better than the places they came from; and 2, those that have been granted temporary asylum while their applications for permanent residence are reviewed by the courts. Many of them fail to show up for the hearings as is required by law. Crime is crime is crime.
It would behoove the nation to extend amnesty to those illegals that have been living under the radar for several years paying taxes, raising families, contributing to society, etc. On the other hand, we as a nation cannot accept every migrant that comes knocking on the southern border or the American embassies scattered around the globe. When Iraq collapsed the refugees headed toward Europe and the American consulates in Budapest, Vienna and other cities. WTF? There are a number of other nations in the Arab world that could take them: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Quatar, etc. Why is the Arab world taking it for granted we will take them in? By the same token the refugees from Honduras, Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua pass through Mexico to get here. Why is Mexico, a Spanish speaking nation not taking them in? Why not Colombia, Suriname, Equador or Venezuela?
We as a nation cannot feed our poor or provide universal health care and education for our citizens yet the bleeding-heart liberals put their knickers in a twist because ICE agents are here in Bridgeport DOING THEIR JOBS. The mayor and City Council are mere using this for political gain.
C’MON MAN, you know better, this is nothing but Steve Bannon and the Alt right campaign strategy for the 202o election, it has nothing to with anything that mention and in fact you are buying into 45’s plan with your comment.
So we should just open the gates at the border, let every stray human being wander in?
Ron,
ICE is looking for specific individuals that have committed crimes in this US.
Derek, that’s not the topic.
Ganim is still trying to score points for this. It’s a cheap gesture, as sincere as his pseudo confession at Reverend Charlie’s church three years ago.
The topic is not Steve Bannon, not Donald Trump. Not the alternative right.
Get over it, Ron. ICE is not targeting the entire migrant community, just the people that have broken the law. In case you forgot the United States of America is A NATION OF LAWS. Remember that. The people walking thousands of miles to get here, the people fleeing MS-13, violence, poverty, political persecution, etc., deserve to be heard. The Trump administration’s policies of separating children from their parents so that Betsy DeVos’s friends at the private adoption agencies have a fresh supply of babies are appalling. All those detention facilities on the southern border that are treating immigrants as if they are animals are privately run; the government has nothing to do with that. Write to your Congressman, your Senator. They are the ones that can change that.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is targeting about 3000 specific individuals. We have not reached the point of mass deportations; not even Donald Trump is stupid enough to do that. So a man was taken into custody. What’s the big deal? Government agents charged with national security did their job. The accused must have a record. They don’t take innocent people.
Derek, I agree with you about Ganim and nobody is talking about open borders and letting anybody, yes there is a process. Pat Buchanan was really big on trying to find a way to stop immigration except from Europe because there were not enough whites being born in America and that whites would have to start sharing power with people of color and then following the lead of people of color. Let’s not forget about Lee Atwater and the “Southern Strategy” for the Republican Party and Ronald Reagan. The Southern Strategy was to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans, well nothing has changed, just the names from Reagan to 45. It’s all about race.
Given Trump’s racism, the House condemning his language and his association with Jeffrey Epstein it is unlikely Trump will earn a second term.
I understand what you’re saying but white nationalism is a nonstarter. It is un American.
“We cannot allow our city to be terrorized and pushed into the shadows.” What nonsense.
“Bridgeport is a “Welcoming City” through a resolution passed by the City Council back in 2017. As part of this resolution, we, as a city, agreed to offer no support or coordination with immigration officials wishing to detain Bridgeport residents.”
No, ladies, you voted on a statement, you did not adopt it as a law because you have no authority to do so. It was also a resolution (a communication) from the 2016-2017 City Council. You are now in the 2018-2019 City Council.
News outlets that provide a somewhat objective account of the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have explained that court orders have been issued for individuals and they are carrying out those orders.
These city council members are making a statement without verifying any details. It is based on “To our knowledge at this time”. Perhaps they should identify their source.
The statement to the media is just pandering Democrat Party narrative.
So, ladies, to use a popular urban expression, stay in your lane.
Oh, I forgot to ask, how is the police overtime account? That is something the city council is required to know as part of your budget oversight duties.
As said I earlier, the Bridgeport City Council was played by Mayor Ganim.
It was an opportunity to score political points for everyone on the City Council, not just Napoleon Joe Ganim. A ‘welcoming city”? Get the fuck out of here. That means nothing. If the police department refuses to cooperate with immigration officials that’s no problem. There are U.S. Marshals and the FBI to step in.
Ganim is only trying to secure votes in the Latino community. He couldn’t give two shits or a rat’s ass about them any more than he cares about the African-American community. It’s all just votes to him. His only motivation is job security.