“We are afraid”… Fear of ICE boosted the voting of Hispanics in NY

At stake was nothing less than control of the United States Congress, still in the hands of the Republican party, in the face of “the threat” that came with the advance of the candidates of the opposition party – the Democrats – determined to snatch power from them to begin to bring order from Washington.

And that feeling of wanting to “settle accounts with the incumbents” could be felt in the voting centers throughout the country, a trend that was already noticeable in previous polls that awarded victories to the blue party, marking the defeat of the red side, a blow to the ego of their faction called “MAGA” and to President Trump himself.

And the New York metropolitan area was no exception. Here also the air of revenge translated into votes of protest and questioning on the part of the electorate, in votes to protect the working people of our community and in votes that want real change to improve the economic, political and social situation that the United States is going through.

And if the rise in the price of gasoline, market products and basic services were a great reason to go to the polls, the issue of the Immigration crisis and the systematic harassment of the ICE agency terrorizing local neighborhoods also played its role in these elections.

They don’t want “La Migra”

In the New York county of Queens, the most diverse in the nation, these midterm elections aroused the active participation of American citizens who wanted to make their vote felt, especially Hispanics, who recently saw how in this place ICE agents, hooded and well armed, attacked the streets seeking to arrest immigrants to fulfill their agenda and, in some cases, operating “under an anti-Latino racial profile.”

For example, in the East Elmhurst sector, close to the Hispanic neighborhoods of Corona and Jackson Heights, voters went to the polls calmly and firmly, and although many preferred not to respond to our journalistic request and our questions (we were located 100 feet away from the voting center as required by the norm), the voters expressed with gestures and looks that it would be better for “their vote to speak for them.”

As the minutes, afternoon and night passed in New York, voters left voting proudly wearing their “I voted” sticker. They did not dare to speak officially either, but they did tell us that they had exercised their right. And a slight smile of satisfaction on their faces revealed their desire for urgent changes and improvements in current policy.

“I had to vote Democrat”

The one who did not give a few minutes to testify was an American citizen, of Ecuadorian origin, who after going to vote at a local school, expressed to us in the street what many had not said out loud: the fear of “La Migra” exists here and they do not want it anymore.

To Mrs. Hilda Robles, a voter in Queens, we ask:

For you, what has it been like to participate in this election day?

– “It was very good, fast, there were no setbacks or anything.”

What is your opinion of these elections?

– “We are afraid… We don’t really know which one to choose because there is a lot of controversy, both on one side and the other.”

Have these elections been very polarized, on the Republican and Democratic sides, what do you think of this situation?

– «I think everyone has a good side and a bad side. Right now the bad thing we are seeing is from the Republicans, so almost everyone, I think, is leaning Democratic because of what we have seen regarding Immigration.

Could you tell us who you voted for?

– “Oh yes, I had to vote Democrat.”

Thank you very much for answering us…

– «Thank you, good afternoon».

And so this electoral dialogue ended. They say it shows a button. In these midterm elections, fear of ICE boosted the voting of Hispanics in New York, so that it was heard loudly in Washington.

From this dynamic and hard-working immigrant community, they did their bit to try to stop the chaos. A chronicle of an announced “blue wave.”