On Monday, a shooting incident occurred at Randall’s Island, a location where undocumented immigrants are being detained, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. In response to concerns over public safety and recent incidents of gun violence on Randall’s Island, the New York City Police Department conducted a raid on the “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Care Center” (HERCS) for detained immigrants on Friday, August 2nd. According to reports from 1010 WINS radio station, sources revealed that the police were investigating potential illegal activities or gang-related operations.
Randall’s Island houses over 2,000 undocumented immigrants in tent camps, which were cleared for the search operation. Temporary facilities such as air-conditioned buses, drinking water, and ambulances were provided for immigrants temporarily displaced outside the camps. Deputy Chief of the New York City Police Department, Kaz Daughtry, confirmed the search operation on social media, emphasizing that ensuring the safety and security of all New Yorkers is a top priority for the police department.
The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless issued a joint statement condemning the police action, stating that despite a heat advisory in effect that day, thousands of immigrants were forcibly evacuated for the search, which they deemed a serious violation of laws and constitutional rights, fueling dangerous anti-immigrant sentiments. The Legal Aid Society criticized the NYPD for consistently claiming a “crime wave by immigrants” sweeping the city without providing any substantiating data.
In the early hours of July 29, a shooting incident occurred under the Triborough Bridge on Randall’s Island. Sandra Serrano, a 44-year-old woman residing in the immigrant tent camp, was fatally shot, and a man and a woman were injured. The motive or target of the shooting remains unclear. According to WABC-TV, the incident took place during a celebration near the tent camp, and the NYPD is actively pursuing two male suspects, one of whom fled in a car with New Mexico license plates, while the other escaped on a motorbike. A reward of $3,500 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspects, and individuals with knowledge can contact the police hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
Randall’s Island serves as the largest site for undocumented immigrant tent camps in the city, where incidents of violence including fights have occurred frequently, prompting the implementation of a curfew from 11 pm to 6 am starting in March of this year.