PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kelvin Arrocha, Immigrant Detainee, read by Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Attorney from The Bronx Defenders
3:18:45
ยท
3 min
Kelvin Arrocha's testimony, read by his attorney Rosa Cohen-Cruz, recounts his traumatic experience with NYPD and ICE collaboration, leading to his unjust arrest and detention. He highlights violations of sanctuary city laws and calls for stronger protections for immigrants in New York City.
- Describes a joint NYPD-ICE raid on his apartment, violating sanctuary city laws
- Supports Intro 214 to allow lawsuits against agencies breaking sanctuary laws
- Endorses Resolution 2970 supporting the New York For All Act for immigrant protections
Rosa Cohen-Cruz
3:18:45
Hi.
3:18:45
My name is Rosa Cohen Cruz.
3:18:47
I'm an attorney with The Bronx Defenders Reading on behalf of Kelvin Sarita Arrocha.
3:18:52
My name is Kelvin.
3:18:53
I'm not here in person today because I'm still in ICE attention because of NYPD collaboration with ICE.
3:18:59
While you sit here in liberty right now, remember that I am here in spirit but still in a cage.
3:19:04
In January of 2024, my life was turned upside down.
3:19:07
The NYPD claimed I was part of a violent attack on officers in Times Square.
3:19:12
They branded me a gang member and a fugitive, and they implied that because of laws designed to protect immigrants like me from abuse, they were unable to stop us from doing something dangerous.
3:19:22
All these claims were lies.
3:19:23
I never left New York.
3:19:24
I was here the whole time waiting for my court date.
3:19:27
I was never part of a gang, and it was the NYPD who initiated the violence that day as video evidence later revealed.
3:19:33
I never assaulted a police officer and that charge was dropped.
3:19:36
I plead guilty to a misdemeanor for kicking a police radio after witnessing officers brutally attack my friends.
3:19:42
But now that the dust is settled, you don't hear about any of this or the further violations to me and my family.
3:19:48
The injustice started the night I was arrested by ICE.
3:19:51
On a cold and snowy February night, NYPD and ICE officers stormed into my apartment together, guns drawn, shouting.
3:19:58
I was barefoot half asleep and terrified.
3:20:00
They ignored my cries, not my pleas not to scare the children and for shoes, dragged me into the freezing snow and told me I was being deported.
3:20:08
For days, my family was trapped inside the apartment by NYPD officers guarding outside.
3:20:14
They couldn't leave even for food.
3:20:15
Children went hungry.
3:20:17
Why was ICE there?
3:20:18
The NYPD says the law prevents them from working with ICE, but not that day, not when they wanted to make an example out of me.
3:20:26
After my arrest, they threw me into an immigration jail in Orange County.
3:20:30
It was like being buried alive.
3:20:31
I couldn't shower, drink water, or even make a phone call.
3:20:34
I never saw an immigration judge, never had a chance to ask for bond.
3:20:38
Then they sent me to Rikers Island to wait for my criminal case.
3:20:41
Even if I posted bail, I wouldn't have been released because I was there as a borrowed prisoner from ICE.
3:20:46
It's terrifying to realize how vulnerable we are as recent arrived New Yorkers.
3:20:50
The laws that are supposed to protect us are barely holding on.
3:20:53
The NYPD violates them anyway without any consequences to them.
3:20:57
This isn't about letting anyone get away with anything.
3:20:59
I care about living in a safe city, but I cannot come at the expense of our rights and separating families based on lies and broken laws.
3:21:07
Do you know the governor went on TV and said people like me should be locked up?
3:21:11
She didn't care about the truth, only about looking tough.
3:21:13
The NYPD didn't care about my rights, only protecting their pride.
3:21:17
And when the facts came to light, none of them were forced by the media to answer for them, including why the NYPD and ICE worked together in violation of the law.
3:21:25
Immigrants shouldn't be afraid to interact with the government, and the government shouldn't make New Yorkers afraid of each other either.
3:21:31
And when they do so based on lies or ignoring the law, there should be accountability.
3:21:35
That's why I support intro 214 that would give people like me the power to sue when the NYPD and other agencies break the law and resolution 2970 in support of the New York For All Act.
3:21:45
If the police and other city agencies have nothing to hide, they shouldn't fear any scrutiny.
3:21:50
We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect no matter how long we've been here.
3:21:54
That's the New York I believe in, and I believe most New Yorkers want that too.