Queens leaders launch immigration rights campaign amid concerns over ICE enforcement

SOCIETY Queens leaders launch immigration rights campaign amid concerns over ICE enforcement By Lindsay Tuchman Tuesday, August 18, 2026 3:14AM Lindsay Tuchman has more on the immigration rights campaign held in East Elmhurst, Queens Monday night. EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) -- Volunteers, local officials and immigration advocates launched "Know Your Rights Week" in parts of Queens, aiming to educate residents about their rights if approached by immigration enforcement officers.

Going door to door in East Elmhurst, volunteer Odilia Gonzalez spoke with neighbors about how to respond to encounters with immigration enforcement.

The effort is personal for Gonzalez, whose brother, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, spent months in a detention center after being stopped on his way to work.

"At the time I felt sad, frustrated, I never thought that could happen," Gonzalez said.

The canvassing followed a rally organized by local leaders and advocates to kick off the initiative in District 35, which includes East Elmhurst, Corona, LeFrak City and Rego Park.

Assemblymember Lorinda C. Hooks said her office has recently received numerous calls about people being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"People who are here who work for a living, who pay taxes, never touched by the justice system, raising children, school runs, libraries, grocery store runs, working people treated like criminals," Hooks said.

Organizers said residents should be aware of their rights and prepare in advance for possible encounters with immigration authorities. Guidance shared during the campaign includes remaining silent and creating a communication plan with family members.

"When you know what your rights are, you are upholding your rights and ensuring that your rights will not be violated," said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

In addition to advocating for limits on immigration enforcement activity in Queens, some officials are calling for Temporary Protected Status for Haitians to be restored following its termination by the Trump administration on Aug. 5.

Assemblymember Clyde Vanel, whose parents were born in Haiti, voiced support for restoring the designation.

"It's ironic that this is America's 250th birthday, a country of immigrants, everybody. Unless you're a Native American, everybody here is an immigrant. Everyone," Vanel said.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding reports of increased ICE activity in Queens.

The agency has consistently maintained that arrests are intended to protect public safety.