Immigration advocates rallied at City Hall Park to protest the practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

The protesters claim that the NYPD and the Department of Correction are working improperly with ICE to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants.  

Daniel Lopez is one of many immigrants in New York City who believe they’ve been unfairly deported. Three years ago, he woke up to loud banging on his door from law enforcement. He called police, who told him to come outside of his apartment.  

“They starting knocking first, second floor… once I opened the door, they called ICE on me. That’s how I got arrested,” said Lopez.  

He was a restaurant worker at the time and was deported to Mexico, where he stayed for almost two years. Now, he is back in the United States fighting his case.  

“It’s not only about me,” said Lopez. “My whole family went through all of this… that’s why I want them to make change.” 

Lopez joined immigration advocates at Wednesday’s rally, all of them demanding the NYPD and the Department of Correction stop joining forces with ICE. They claim both city agencies are acting as extensions of ICE to arrest, detain and deport undocumented New Yorkers.  

The group attended a public hearing at City Hall and want the Committee on Criminal Justice and Committee on Immigration to pass a bill that would prevent the Department of Correction from communicating with ICE. They also want the bill to stop the NYPD from holding people for ICE agents unless there is a judicial warrant.  

Both city agencies have denied working in tandem with ICE, and the Department of Correction testified that it released eight out of 92 detainees to federal agents during the last 11 months.  

The NYPD stated it received 157 detainer requests from ICE in its last reporting period and honored none of them.  

For now, Lopez is taking his time in the States to not only push for these changes, but to put his life back together.