Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) speaks throughout a press convention held by the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to debate the immigration govt orders enacted by the Trump administration within the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Photograph by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs
Because the Trump administration relaunches large-scale ICE raids and immigration crackdowns, U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) delivered an impassioned speech Sunday morning, Feb. 2, on the Jewish Group Relations Council (JCRC) of New York’s annual breakfast, calling for justice and compassion for immigrant communities.
Throughout his remarks, Espaillat mentioned the Trump regime’s efforts weren’t rooted in “the America I love, and it is not the America that gave” him the chance to be a member of Congress.
Addressing an viewers of leaders, public officers, and advocates, Espaillat spoke from private expertise concerning the influence of immigration insurance policies on households in New York Metropolis and past.
“As an immigrant myself, I cannot ignore the growing fear gripping our communities. Across New York City, parents are too afraid to send their children to school, workers are hesitant to go to their jobs, and seniors are missing vital medical appointments—all out of fear that they could be detained or deported,” he mentioned. “This is not the America I love, and it is not the America that gave me the opportunity to stand before you as a Member of Congress.”
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem noticed a Bronx ICE raid on Jan. 28, 2025.@DEANEWYORKDiv/X
Espaillat, who serves as a co-chair of the Latino Jewish Congressional Caucus, drew a parallel between historic and trendy struggles, invoking scripture to emphasise the ethical accountability of the nation.
“As the Book of Exodus reminds us, ‘You shall not mistreat or oppress a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ These words ring as true today as they did centuries ago,” he said.
The Harlem-based congressman denounced insurance policies that, he argued, unfairly goal immigrants for minor infractions, breaking up households and destabilizing communities.
“Let me be clear—our laws already ensure that those who commit violent crimes face the full weight of justice,” he mentioned. “But recent policies go far beyond that, seeking to cast a wider net that unfairly targets immigrants for minor infractions—people who are mothers, fathers, and grandparents, people who contribute to our society every day. Deporting these individuals weakens families, and weak families make a weak nation.”
Espaillat outlined three key areas of immigration reform he hopes to advance: supporting Dreamers, defending farmworkers, and maintaining households collectively. He highlighted the financial and social contributions of undocumented immigrants, significantly those that arrived as kids and people working in important industries.
“This is a crisis. A crisis of values—of democratic values, of American values,” Espaillat declared. “And so, we ask for your support. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this fear and uncertainty do not exist, because they do.”
