East Harlem Community Board Member Resigns Over Ties To ICE

EAST HARLEM, NY — A member of East Harlem's Community Board 11 resigned this week after concerns were raised about her connection to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which recently performed an immigration raid in the neighborhood.

Shantal Sparks, who served on the board's executive and land use committee, resigned from Community Board 11 on Monday, according to an email sent to board members. A public defender who "litigates against ICE prosecutors every day" shared concerns about Sparks' membership on the board — calling her an "ICE prosecutor" the day before her resignation.

The post sparked a debate about whether Sparks' membership on the board compromised the safety of immigrants living in East Harlem. Community Board 11 vice chair Xavier Santiago replied to the post saying: "CB11 neither collects nor shares info on immigration status. As a sanctuary city, all matters are kept confidential."

Y'know what else is messed up? There's an ICE prosecutor on my Community Board (#CB11) in East Harlem & she was appointed by @galeabrewer.

Word on the street is that ppl think she "pushes paper" for ICE (because that's ok?).

If by paper they mean bodies into cages, then yes.
— (@s_phia_) July" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/s_phia_/st... 22, 2019

Community Board 11 released a statement this week publicly condemning recent immigration raids in East Harlem.

"Community Board 11 has one of the largest immigrant populations in all of New York City. For over a century, immigration has made East Harlem great. Trump’s rhetoric and ICE enforcement actions have struck fear in the hearts of many who reside in Community Board 11. ICE raids don’t just target those on final deportation orders; they target our families, our neighbors, and our community," the statement reads.

Sparks' official job title is assistant chief counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is the federal agency above both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Agents conducted unsuccessful raids in neighborhoods such as Sunset Park, East Harlem, Midwood and Far Rockaway this month after President Donald Trump announced the agency would conduct raids to arrest about 2,000 people in 10 major cities.