⚓ DEEP DIVE ⚓ Community Reacts to ICE Raids in City and Threats to Legislator
Resources Available for City Residents
STAMFORD — Last week, federal authorities raided a courthouse and at least two neighborhoods in the city. Since then, local leaders and residents have been trying to determine the impact on the community and respond to what happened.
Starting Monday, August 11, agents with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related departments conducted several raids on Stamford and nearby municipalities.
Federal officials were reportedly spotted at the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District Court, according to the Stamford Advocate, as well as in neighborhoods including the South End and the West Side on Stillwater Avenue near Stamford Hospital.
A Facebook user named Besweezy Paul recorded and shared some of ICE’s presence on the West Side in a video reel.
A press conference and rally organized by local groups including Stamford Norwalk United with Immigrants and Indivisible Stamford was held on Thursday, August 14, outside the Stamford courthouse.
Then, to inform constituents in his Stamford district about ICE being active in the area on Friday, August 15, State Representative Corey Paris posted on social media.
However, as a result, the far-right X (formerly Twitter) account “Libs of TikTok” shared his post, which consequently was then shared by the official ICE account.
Once their combined followers of more than five million accounts began responding, Paris started to receive numerous threats on social media and by phone from all over the country. Some threatened the lives of his fiancée and himself. Others used racial slurs and swore at him.
The story gained national attention, even being covered by The New York Times and Paris appeared on MSNBC just yesterday for his first TV interview since the incident.
Despite all the violent rhetoric directed toward him, Paris indicated that he has no regrets about standing up for his constituents. In a statement provided by the state Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, Paris said:
“It is unfortunate and alarming to be wrongfully targeted by a federal agency and even called for arrest by the DOJ. However, my commitment to compassion, courage, and community—and my refusal to be silenced when the safety of my neighbors is at stake—will never be shaken. I value the ability to use my platform to stand up for the targeted and voiceless. I do not regret choosing compassion, vigilance, and safety for all who call our community home. While I may carry the weight of criticism at this moment, our friends and neighbors who are immigrants carry the weight of being targeted, silenced, and made voiceless. They live with the constant fear that their families could be targeted, disrupted, or torn apart. Leadership is not always easy, but it is always necessary, and I will continue to do what I have always promised: to serve, to stand, and to speak for those who too often are unheard.”
Some of Paris’s colleagues in the Stamford delegation reacted to the development, including State Representatives Matt Blumenthal (D-147), Jonathan Jacobson (D-148), Eilish Collins Main (D-146), and Hubert Delaney (D-144).
More than a week after the initial ICE arrests in Stamford, Mayor Caroline Simmons and Police Chief Timothy Shaw released a joint statement reiterating that the city does not cooperate with ICE besides when responding to serious crimes.
Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) also commented on the ICE raids conducted in the state, saying in part “Masked ICE agents are targeting schools and churches, dragging people, including legal residents, off the street, and throwing them into inhumane detention centers without recourse. This is the behavior of an authoritarian, not a democratically elected leader.”
On Wednesday, August 20, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz were joined by Democratic legislators from across the state during a press conference in Hartford at the state capitol to condemn the vicious behavior that Paris received.
National Concerns
After President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January, his administration has escalated arrests to reach arbitrary deportation goals but not without increased controversy.
The recent activity was not the first time that ICE has visited Stamford this year. In January, local city and school leaders commented on the presence of ICE in Stamford.
Fast forward to June, when the Los Angeles Times reported that an American citizen was arrested simply for recording ICE arrests in the area. While detained, he heard nearby agents bragging about how many they arrested.
More recently, in an effort to reverse lagging recruitment efforts, ICE moved to lower the age requirement. The minimum had been 21 years old, the Associated Press reported, but the new push decreased that to 18 years old.
Additionally, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey late last month found that Trump’s approval rating on immigration has sunk in addition to polling decreases in other policy areas like the economy and health care.
On Tuesday, November 12, just a week after the presidential election, community members heard from several city and state leaders during an event hosted by Building One Community (B1C), a center for immigrant opportunity, at the Ferguson Library.
During the conversation, Simmons insisted that the city would continue to support its immigrant community.
“We want to ensure that immigrants in the city feel safe,” the Mayor said. “We have zero tolerance for hate of any kind.”
Resources
Stamford Board of Education member Gabriela Koc shared a GoFundMe fundraiser organized by Nosotr@s Connecticut, a nonprofit organization in the state, in support of two young mothers directly impacted by the ICE raids.
“One mother is 7 months pregnant and the other has recently had surgery and a 2-month-old baby,” the fundraising campaign’s description stated.
As of publishing, 53 donors have supported the effort with a combined $4,345 or 72% of the current $6,000 goal. The link to learn more and donate is available here.
Building One Community has a whole selection of resources available in multiple languages on the organization's website here.
At the national level, the Immigrant Defenders Law Center provides insights and information on their website here as well.
Himes’s office provided information on his congressional website available here in English and Spanish to educate constituents about their rights when interacting with ICE.
For opportunities to get involved with local organizers, visit the Stamford Norwalk United with Immigrants website here or the Indivisible Stamford website here.
For individuals interested in documenting any ICE activity in their area, the WITNESS Media Lab has a page on their website offering guidance and best practices.
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