MANH Lawmakers on the Move, July 16, 2019

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Chin to Host Free Bike Helmet Giveaway

Council Member Margaret Chin
Council Member Margaret Chin

City Council Member Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) will be hosting a free bike helmet fitting and distribution event this Sunday.

The event is open to people of all ages, but children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to receive a helmet.

The event is slated for Sunday, July 21 from 12-3:30 p.m. at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the Pit.


Levine Relieved, Yet Cautious About Cancelled ICE Raids

City Council Member Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) expressed tentative relief that the planned ICE raids on New York never materialized.

Council Member Mark D. Levine
Council Member Mark D. Levine

Last week, the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced that there would be a storm of raids on undocumented immigrants in several major cities, New York included. In spite of the warning, there were no documented incidents on Sunday, July 14, the day it was scheduled to happen.

“It’s a huge relief that the ICE raids didn’t materialize this weekend,” Levine said in a tweet. “But the racist in the White House still accomplished his goal: instilling fear into the hearts of countless families. We will remain on-guard for the raids. And we’ll continue to fight this vile xenophobia.”


Espaillat Denounces Trump’s Racist Comments

Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-Washington Heights, Sugar Hill) released a joint statement with Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) calling out President Donald Trump’s (R) racist tweets directed at “Progressive Democrat Congresswomen”.

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat
U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Trump, presumably targeting Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), told the congresswomen that if they had any grievances with the United States, they should “go back” to the “crime-infested places” they or their ancestors came from.

“The President’s tweets are as small as his world view,” said Espaillat and Torres. “There are many Members of Congress who were born in foreign countries. We represent a wide range of viewpoints, but we all love America and are grateful for the opportunity to serve. It is our rich backgrounds and diverse perspectives that strengthen our ability to shape policy that is reflective of the communities we represent. Many of us are working hard in Congress to improve the countries that we came from—that includes reforming corrupt governments that are not working on behalf of their people. To question the patriotism of any Member is as low and un-American as it gets.”