Avilés mourns killings by ICE, calls to abolish ICE

First, I want to thank Emmett Turan, our outgoing Progressive Caucus Director, for his incredible work leading the caucus.

Emmett is a dedicated and supremely talented public service whose thoughtful leadership has delivered major wins for New York's working class.

Thank you, Emmett, for all you have done and will continue to accomplish with Councilmember Hanif's office.

I wish to use my remarks to mourn the loss of two people murdered by ICE this month.

Joan Sebastian Guerrero Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

Joan was a 26-year-old father.

Working two jobs to support his family.

On Monday morning, ICE agents killed him on his way to work, just blocks from his home.

He built a community for himself and his family in Maine.

His neighbor said he was a kind presence on the block, often stopping to compliment a neighbor's garden with his daughter.

Those same neighbors heard screams and cries from his wife and child on Monday when ICE agents shot and killed him in front of their eyes.

Lorenzo Araujo was also headed to work when immigration agents stopped his vehicle.

Lorenzo, a father of three, owned a construction company and he was driving his co-workers to a job when ICE

officer stopped his vehicle, pulled out their weapons, and shot and killed him.

In the days since these murders, ICE officials have admitted that neither Lorenzo or Joan Juan were the target of any investigation.

This is yet another horrifying instance of ICE's rogue violence and absolute cruelty of the Trump immigration policy.

I stand today to express my utter condemnation of these cold-blooded murders.

ICE is a lawless agency that has killed at least six people by shooting them to death on our streets since Trump took office.

Again, abolish ICE.

Councilmember Denowitz, followed by Hanif.