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        Instagram account tracks ICE sightings in New York City

        The account educates New Yorkers about their rights if they get approached by ICE and tracks sightings around the city.

        Greg Thompson

        Feb 15, 2025, 3:46 AM

        Updated 13 hr ago

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        As sightings of immigration enforcement raids have become more common around the city, some residents have started using social media as a way to keep tabs. That includes NYC ICE Watch, an Instagram account with nearly 18,000 followers. It is run by a group of people, including Bed-Stuy resident Sergio Uzurin. "There is a lot of panic in the streets right now," says Uzurin, who is a child of immigrants. The account educates New Yorkers about their rights if they get approached by ICE and tracks sightings around the city - requesting people alert them immediately - so that one of the people involved can investigate, and find out whether it was a real ICE raid or just a false alarm. "People will often complain about how back in the day things were better, neighbors looked out for each other," says Uzurin. "I think this is our 2025 version of neighbors looking out for each other." While ICE has said it is targeting immigrants who are in the United States illegally and are accused of violent crimes, Uzurin says he has seen a different story. He says he has received pictures of an incident in Bushwick on Jan. 30, where he was told ICE agents were stopping innocent people. Still, federal officials have warned that getting in the way of an ICE operation could be considered obstruction of justice, but Uzurin says what his group is doing is completely legal. "Even though the [Trump] administration is complaining about illegality, there are certain times you have to ask yourself how will history look upon you, so you can't be afraid," he says. Uzurin and his colleagues say they expect to see large-scale ICE raids in New York sooner than later, so the goal for now is to keep the community as unified and prepared for them as possible.