A Statement from LINC’s Deputy Executive Director, Eliana Godoy

Like many of you, I stayed up late last night following the heartbreaking news of the ICE shooting in Marble Hill. A man was shot while a five-year-old child sat in the backseat of his car, in a residential neighborhood, at the very time when families were picking up their children from school. Children and caregivers were going about their everyday routines, in a place where they should feel safe. My colleague Amy and I were in that very neighborhood the day before, at almost exactly the same time.

I am angry, saddened, and deeply shaken. And I know many of you are feeling the same. Across our communities, immigrant families are living with the fear and trauma created not only by violent immigration enforcement and the threat of family separation, but also by the dehumanizing rhetoric that criminalizes and targets immigrants.

No child should witness violence, whether physical or structural. No child should be violently separated from their family. No child should ever be made to feel less worthy, less welcome, or somehow bad because of their immigration status or that of their family.

I was heartened to see so many elected officials, advocates, and community leaders standing alongside our communities, demanding accountability and speaking out against this violence.

As organizations working alongside children and families across NYC, our collective commitment to safety, dignity, and belonging matters more than ever. We have built networks of trust and care in our neighborhoods, and moments like this call on us to strengthen them.

I want to share LINC’s Immigration Safety and Resource Kits and ask that you distribute them widely among your staff, families, and community networks. These kits include Know Your Rights information, legal and community resources, guidance for creating a family preparedness plan, and tools to help caregivers talk with children about fear, separation, and belonging. They are designed not only to help families understand their rights and prepare for emergencies, but also to support children’s emotional well-being and remind families that they are not alone.

Access LINC’s Digital Immigration Safety and Resource Kit

Please check in on the families you serve and on one another. And please take care of yourselves, too. We cannot care for our communities without caring for each other.

Let’s double down on the care, safety, and solidarity that our communities need. Let’s continue showing immigrant families that they are valued, loved, and never alone.

Print and distribute the flyers below in your community so that others can access our free safety kit.

Learn more about LINC’s work with community partners here and contact us at communications@lincnyc.org.