By Hank Russell
A local state assemblyman decried the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which recently conducted raids in Southampton Town and the arrest of one immigrant who, advocates claim, was pinned down by an ICE vehicle during his arrest.
On November 5, ICE agents arrested Edgar Tezen after he allegedly fled from them as they were rounding up other migrants at a 7-Eleven in Westhampton Beach. According to news reports, ICE agents chased down the Guatemalan immigrant with their vehicle. One of the agents opened a door
Tezen’s lawyer told Newsday her client was injured when the ICE agents’ vehicle did not fully stop but kept rolling forward instead and pinned part of Tezen’s leg under a tire. He was later placed into an ambulance and treated at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.
Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan told Newsday that Tezen was not hit by the vehicle and that an ambulance was called because Tezen was having difficulty breathing.
ICE agents also conducted raids in Hampton Bays. OLA Executive Director Minerva Perez told The East End Beacon that there were 40 ICE vehicles at the Hampton Bays firehouse. Agents could be seen at Macy’s, Dunkin’, 7-Eleven, a movie theater and a laundromat. About eight migrants were detained, according to the ICE Tracker from Islip Forward.
Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Sag Harbor) said he was “deeply disappointed” to learn of these raids, calling them a “violation of due process and human dignity” and “an affront to the U.S. Constitution and the New York State Constitution.”
“These agents descended on our communities and immediately began detaining civilians, causing fear and panic,” Schiavoni said. Thousands across the country are being snatched off the streets without due process. … [T]he lack of transparency harms the relationship of trust between public officials, law enforcement, and the public, putting civilians and law enforcement in danger.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to ICE for a response, but did not hear back as of press time.