Immigration Court Watchers Will Be Front and Center at Trump’s State of the Union

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) has been a central figure in the ongoing efforts to resist President Donald Trump’s mass deportation push in New York City. And, when Trump delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, Goldman is making sure some of the observers who have been monitoring the masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in court and helping detained immigrants win their release will be in the room. 

Goldman has invited Father Fabian Arias of Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan and Peter Melck Kuttel as his guests for the presidential speech. The pair have worked closely with Goldman as the congressman has turned his district office into what he has dubbed a “whole triage center” for detainees and their families. 

“Father Fabian and Melck Kuttel have been invaluable partners in our fight against this administration’s unlawful, immoral immigration dragnet. I brought them here as my guests tonight to show President Trump and his lackeys in Congress that we will not take their attempts to terrorize immigrant families lying down,” Goldman said in a statement. 

For the past year, ICE agents have been a regular presence inside Manhattan’s immigration courts where they have detained people who show up for scheduled court proceedings. Goldman and other activists have raised alarms about the violent nature of some of these arrests, the conditions in the detention facility, and the disregard for due process. In multiple instances, activists, who have been working out of Goldman’s office, have managed to secure the release of immigrants in cases where judges ruled their detentions were unlawful. 

“Time and time again, we have fought back against the administration and won; as of this month, my office, with invaluable assistance from Father Fabian and his team, has freed 17 immigrants unlawfully detained by ICE in NYC,” Goldman said. “We will continue this work for as long as this president keeps up his cruel and vindictive immigration policy.”

Court observers are one key element of the robust movement that has emerged to counter Trump’s deportation drive. Activists have also been observing ICE on the streets. It is a risky endeavor. In Minnesota, both Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by federal agents while engaging in these rapid response efforts. Activists participating in anti-ICE protests in New York have also been detained. 

While Goldman is sending guests to Trump’s State of the Union address, the congressman will not be in attendance. Instead, Goldman is planning to participate in an alternative “State of the Swamp” counter address that is set to feature a long roster of political figures and celebrities including Robert de Niro, Mark Ruffalo, and multiple other members of Congress. 

“I’m attending the State of the Swamp counter-event tonight because we’ve heard more than enough of Donald Trump’s lies,” Goldman said. “It’s time to talk about a new vision for America that’s based on equality, hope, and opportunity for all – not the divisiveness and hatred of this president.”