Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) speaks all through a press conference held by the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to debate the immigration govt orders enacted by the Trump administration inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Image by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Pictures
As a result of the Trump administration relaunches large-scale ICE raids and immigration crackdowns, U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) delivered an impassioned speech Sunday morning, Feb. 2, on the Jewish Group Relations Council (JCRC) of New York’s annual breakfast, calling for justice and compassion for immigrant communities.
All through his remarks, Espaillat talked about the Trump regime’s efforts weren’t rooted in “the America I love, and it is not the America that gave” him the prospect to be a member of Congress.
Addressing an viewers of leaders, public officers, and advocates, Espaillat spoke from non-public experience regarding the impression of immigration insurance coverage insurance policies on households in New York Metropolis and previous.
“As an immigrant myself, I cannot ignore the growing fear gripping our communities. Across New York City, parents are too afraid to send their children to school, workers are hesitant to go to their jobs, and seniors are missing vital medical appointments—all out of fear that they could be detained or deported,” he talked about. “This is not the America I love, and it is not the America that gave me the opportunity to stand before you as a Member of Congress.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem seen a Bronx ICE raid on Jan. 28, 2025.@DEANEWYORKDiv/X
Espaillat, who serves as a co-chair of the Latino Jewish Congressional Caucus, drew a parallel between historic and classy struggles, invoking scripture to stress the moral accountability of the nation.
“As the Book of Exodus reminds us, ‘You shall not mistreat or oppress a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ These words ring as true today as they did centuries ago,” he stated.
The Harlem-based congressman denounced insurance coverage insurance policies that, he argued, unfairly aim immigrants for minor infractions, breaking apart households and destabilizing communities.
“Let me be clear—our laws already ensure that those who commit violent crimes face the full weight of justice,” he talked about. “But recent policies go far beyond that, seeking to cast a wider net that unfairly targets immigrants for minor infractions—people who are mothers, fathers, and grandparents, people who contribute to our society every day. Deporting these individuals weakens families, and weak families make a weak nation.”
Espaillat outlined three key areas of immigration reform he hopes to advance: supporting Dreamers, defending farmworkers, and preserving households collectively. He highlighted the monetary and social contributions of undocumented immigrants, considerably people who arrived as children and other people working in necessary industries.
“This is a crisis. A crisis of values—of democratic values, of American values,” Espaillat declared. “And so, we ask for your support. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this fear and uncertainty do not exist, because they do.”
