This weekend, I read some news stories where Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina proudly claimed that one of their schools turned away an ICE agent that showed up "looking for a fourth grader". To me, the story sounded a bit strange and I could tell from the press use of the word "allegedly" that they weren't exactly buying it either, so I decided to give it a bit more time before posting about it. When outlandish claims are made by pols, the truth tends to come out sooner than later.
First, some background: Big Bird made a grand announcement earlier this year that from now on, ICE agents that show up at schools would be turned away. When questioned as to how often this has happened, he admitted it never did. So naturally, he thought this incident would be great fodder for him to use to show that he had tremendous foresight in enacting this new policy.
However, NY1 burst his bubble last night by publishing the truth:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCIS) said two officials went to a Queens elementary school Thursday to confirm facts about a fourth grader's enrollment.
The agency — which is part of the Department of Homeland Security but not directly affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — said the verification was for what they call an "immigration benefit request."
USCIS said the student, who attends P.S. 58 in Maspeth, was not the subject of the request, and the officials did not ask to see or speak with the child.
USCIS said school visits are not routine, but they are not unusual.
USCIS is the branch of Homeland Security that processes immigration and naturalization applications. If school visits are "not unusual", then this school, located in District 24, one of the most immigrant rich areas of the city, certainly has been visited by them before to verify enrollment. And if they were in fact turned away, then the city may have made it a bit harder for someone to obtain citizenship.
ICE, on the other hand, is the agency charged with enforcement of immigration law. They are not one and the same, and BDB is well aware of this, but the opportunity to appeal to his deluded base by fearmongering was just too good to pass up.
The moral of the story is: Just because the mayor says something happened doesn't make it the truth.
14 comments:
In other words, there are two versions of this story, and literally no one has photographic or video proof that either side of the story is true.
I believe nothing until I can see and hear actual video/audio proof. That story was obviously extremely thin, and this NY1 piece sounds just as thin.
That's funny because Carmen Farina just held a presser where she said it wasn't ICE but USCIS that visited the school. So I guess NY1's story holds more water than the rest of the news media.
amazing that NY1 gives the mayor a bogus forum every weekend while doing slight reports on his screw-ups and scandals.
ICE or USCIS were probably looking for a Catholic school refugee that was mistakenly allowed to attend P.S. 58.
We all know that the BOE doesn't want Catholic school kids going to Maspeth High School so why not extend that policy to P.S. 58?
Try reading the crapola propaganda from Farina that DNAinfo ran.
MASPETH — Two immigration officers tried to enter a Queens elementary school Thursday but were turned away by education officials, they said.
The officers, who were from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, visited P.S. 58 in Maspeth on Thursday as part of an investigation, according to a spokeswoman from the Department of Education and the USCIS.
The pair visited the school on Grand Avenue for an "administrative inquiry pertaining to an immigration benefit request," USCIS spokeswoman Katie Tichacek confirmed in an email.
However, they did not ask to speak with the student, who is not the subject of the query, Tichacek said.
"Although school visits are not routine in these circumstances, they are not unprecedented," she added.
"I must emphasize that the purpose of the visit was to verify certain facts about the student's enrollment in relation to a request for an immigration benefit."
Still, the incident is now being investigated by the DOE — which reminded students that schools are safe and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their immigration status.
On Monday morning, Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Nisha Agarwal, the commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, greeted parents and students as they arrived at school.
"We're here today to really reassure parents that our schools are safe, and our children will be protected to the utmost degree," the chancellor said.
Parents at P.S. 58, and across the city, were being reminded that "schools are a safe place to be," she added.
The visit from the USCIS officer was the first time the city's protocols have been put to the test since Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fariña assured the public that they would defend immigrant students and adults in public places such as schools and workplaces, Agarwal said.
But the attempt to question a student at school still shook parents, who questioned why any immigration official would come to an elementary school.
One mother, who has three kids at the school but asked that her name not be used, said adults should never approach children without their parents present.
"Let immigration deal with the parents," the mom said. "The oldest kid here is 12 years old, what do they know? That's really scary."
People, puh-leeeeze! When are you going to finally realize that the WHOLE crooked system is on the verge of collapse (along with America's healthcare system, defined pension system, job system, education system, etc., etc.), and it can't happen soon enough!
Now, is anyone really surprised how one tainted media outlet botches up a story, followed immediately by another print rag that gets the story wrong (newsflash to the Daily News, Post and the New York Times——all ancient print is a graveyard!), and the purported, 'low-information-and-IQ' journalists of today can put what they know inside of a thimble——and, SHAKE IT (many of whom are merely a sad, reductive, corporate wage slavery product of the same, dying print industries that have never stopped exploiting their languishing workforce)?
The beginning of the end is near, Queens Crappers, where no one trusts ANYONE who survives as a 'payroll racket barnacle,' clinging for life on to one of the many multinational corporations, government bought politicians (not public servants), and the 300% false, fake and failed, corporate fascist 'owned-and-operated' media empires (where thousands of American newspapers, TV and radio stations are owned by a handful of robber barons and oligarchs), all of whom now DEVALUE honesty itself——to pathologically high treasonous, traitorous and tyrannical effect!
Ancient Babylonia (that ended more than 5,000 years ago!), finally caught up with the greatest 'Welare Queens' (of a long ago defunct public service, where lunch and a manicure is a stressful day!), of them all! Wake up, 'SHEEPLE!'
WHAT? A politician lying to us? I am shocked, shocked, shocked!
When are you going to finally realize that the WHOLE crooked system is on the verge of collapse (along with America's healthcare system, defined pension system, job system, education system, etc., etc.), and it can't happen soon enough!
Spot on buddy.
why are the 20-25 S.E.Asian K-12 ,possibly parachute illegals w. no available parents in the U.S.(A GUARDIAN), still seated @ P.S.159 Q @ 205st/32 ave & reside in 2fam residence nearby @203st/32ave.A a cost to nyc property tax of $23000 /pupil/year.?Is this not theft of services ? CALL I.C.E./D of Homeland security.
Someone needs to tell Mayor DeBlasio his pants are on fire.
Where in the tweet did it say ICE though?????
Now that Avella tossed in the towel on his mayoral run , get used to the dope from Park Slope getting a second term.
To last Anonymous: Don't cling to any illusions that a cradle-to-grave government hack like Avella is any slimier and pathetic than de Blasio. And, just because Avella withdrew doesn't absolve the current sociopath in City Hall, much less shield and protect his intense incompetence from impeachment proceedings forthwith (which should have commenced when it counted back in 2014)!
Either way, New York City has become an even worse tale of two cities ever since this 300% false, fake and failed shithead grandfathered his way in to the top city post, crossing over from an obscure and feckless city council creep (where like all worthless council members he was likewise rewarded for monstrous fail), followed by a title-and-pay bump to public advocate before he pay dirt (versus where he deserves to be——buried in underground dirt)!
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