Migration Scholars’ Global Solidarity and Resistance Network Dispatches

25 June 2025: Report from New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York, USA. Day laborers (workers; construction); ICE raids; sanctuary cities; partisan politics (Democrats; Republicans); NY4All legislation. Summary: In early June, ICE agents targeted day laborers (construction workers) outside local Home Depot stores, a regular site where workers gather for day work. In New Rochelle, ICE arrested four day laborers. These four are among the 100,000 people arrested by ICE since Trump took office. The directive from the Trump administration is to target sanctuary cities, “major Democratic-led cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration officials” (CBS News). Resistance/Solidarity or Inaction/Complicity: United Community Center of Westchester: https://uccenter.org/ is a local nonprofit that assists day laborers (unclear what, if anything, this group has done or is doing for the four people arrested). The group reports participating as a supporter (https://uccenter.org/uccw-joins-the-rally-for-ny4all/) of the proposed NY4All legislation (proposed 5 years ago) that would offer certain, greater protections to immigrants, which the Democratic majority New York State Assembly and New York State Senate in June failed to bring to the floor for a vote (https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2235/amendment/A). Sources: The Gothamist, 16 June, 2025: “Immigration police making their presence known at NYC-area Home Depots”: https://gothamist.com/news/immigration-police-making-their-presence-known-at-nyc-area-home-depots CBS News online, 5 June, 2025: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-under-trump-100k/