You may have read the recent report in the West Side Rag about a youth baseball coach who intervened when ICE agents approached and began questioning children on the Upper West Side. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to read it here: westsiderag.com/2025/07/10/a-baseball-coach-says-he-fended-off-ice-agents-questioning-kids-on-the-uws.

This incident is a chilling reminder that no place—even our neighborhood fields—is immune from the fear and intimidation targeting immigrant families. As President of the West Side Democrats, I want to state clearly and firmly: We stand against these actions. We stand with our neighbors. And we stand for justice.

Children should feel safe—at school, at play, and in their community. Immigration enforcement has no place targeting children or disrupting youth programs. This is not who we are.

The West Side Democrats are calling on our elected officials to investigate this incident and to put safeguards in place to ensure it does not happen again. We also encourage all our members to take action:

• Reach out to your representatives and demand accountability.

• Support local immigrant advocacy organizations such as the NYCLU and the D3 Open Arms coalition.

• Join us at our picnic get-together this Wednesday, July 16th, 6 to 8 pm (see more information below).

Let this be a moment where we come together—not just to express outrage, but to demand change.

In solidarity,
Christine Annechino
President, West Side Democrats

christinewsd2024@gmail.com

West Side Democrats General Email: westsidedemocratsnyc@gmail.com