'What happened to my country?': Activists hold candlelight vigil outside Malliotakis' Bay Ridge office for immigrants in ICE custody * Brooklyn Paper

"While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ramp up enforcement actions against immigrant communities - over the weekend, masked agents targeted Charlotte, North Carolina, a sanctuary city, detaining more than 130 people - activists with Indivisible Brooklyn, an all-volunteer grassroots group that organizes actions and events to promote justice and hold elected officials accountable, held a candlelight vigil outside U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' Bay Ridge office on Nov. 17 for the "disappeared.""

"However, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a research and data organization founded in 1989 at Syracuse University, reported that as of Sept. 21, 42,755 (71.5%) of the 59,762 immigrants held in ICE detention had no criminal convictions. Those with records were convicted of minor offenses, including traffic violations. As of August 2025, immigration courts had recorded 505,599 new cases, with only 1.59% based on alleged criminal activity."

"The event was held in solidarity with thousands of immigrants detained by ICE and CBP. A similar vigil took place simultaneously outside the representative's Staten Island office, organized by the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church. Holding signs with images of immigrants currently in or who have died in ICE custody, activists called on the Republican lawmaker to denounce Trump-era immigration policies that detain immigrants without legal representation, violating due process."

ICE and CBP increased enforcement actions targeting immigrant communities, including a weekend operation that detained more than 130 people in Charlotte, North Carolina. Activists from Indivisible Brooklyn held a candlelight vigil outside Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' Bay Ridge office while a parallel vigil occurred at her Staten Island office. Protesters displayed signs of immigrants in or who died in ICE custody and urged Malliotakis to denounce detention practices that deny legal representation. DHS reported deporting 527,000 immigrants and stated 70% of ICE arrests involved criminal charges. TRAC found 71.5% of detained immigrants had no criminal convictions and immigration courts recorded 505,599 new cases with 1.59% based on alleged criminal activity. Human Rights First documented 10,672 ICE flights through Oct. 31.

Read at Brooklyn Paper