When Cherline Regalado was 10 years old, the celebration she planned for her dad’s birthday was upended by a sudden visit to immigration court. Arriving under the assumption that it was a regular check-in with immigration enforcement, Cherline’s father was arrested without explanation and spent nearly seven months at a detention center, unable to contact his family or a lawyer.
On Saturday, Cherline and her father joined hundreds of New Yorkers learning how to support those facing a similar reality.
“With the help of many organizations, he was able to get out of the detention center,” Cherline said. “And now I’m here with him, actually, because he’s become an organizer in New Jersey to support all the immigrant families that are also going through the same thing.”
Amid the smell of fresh tamales, pork meats and coffee, organizers with ICE OUT of New York — a coalition of immigrant rights groups — welcomed people of all backgrounds, languages and citizenships to build collective strength through tangible action at “The People’s Assembly” event. Attendees spent the day at a series of panels, workshops and activities focused on how to de-escalate and respond to encounters with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and discussing the history of targeted deportation.
Since last January, the number of people detained by ICE and the ratio of direct deportations from ICE custody have steadily risen. As of November 2025, for every one person released from detention, 14.3 more people were directly deported from ICE custody — a substantial increase from 1.6 people as of December 2024. As the Trump administration further escalated ICE raids last month, ICE OUT volunteer meetings have garnered increased interest, culminating in the Jan. 31 event.
“One of the things that has really kept me grounded and has really kept me going is seeing the amount of people every day that want to get involved,” James Perra, an organizer for ICE OUT, told WSN. “It’s not just the people who have been in the struggle for decades, but people who are really trying to get activated and involved now.”
The day started with a panel of organizers and researchers from across the country, who discussed ICE as a form of oppression to those disenfranchised and exploited in American history. Panelists emphasized that the repressive nature of immigration enforcement goes beyond today’s current political climate, citing the 287G policy’s significant growth over the past two decades as the groundwork for the Trump administration’s current expansion of ICE.
“The biggest threat to this system is organization,” Karla Reyes, educator and union organizer, said during a panel discussion. “What did they do in the 1960s? The destroyed organization. COINTELPRO went after the Black Panthers, the Young Lords. Went after Fred Hampton who dared to say unite people of all backgrounds. That is a threat to them.”
The event, which lasted from 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m., hosted several rounds of discussions, when attendees could choose which seminars and presentations to attend. Organizers discussed issues such as the history of immigration, knowing your rights and everyday scams targeting immigrants — like people pretending to be lawyers or fake bonds and judicial orders.
Participants also engaged in creative workshops, such as one encouraging sign and postermaking for future protests. Between panels and seminars, attendees enjoyed a communal space and were provided lunch including homemade chicken, rice and juices. Conversations in Spanish and English flooded the venue as individuals exchanged stories and bonded over shared experiences.
This event was grounded in unity. In the face of uncertainty, when the people of our community do not feel protected by their government or the institutions they used to rely on, we are reminded to reengage with our neighbors. As was repeated many times throughout the event, ‘Solo el pueblo salva al pueblo’ — “Only the people save the people.”
The day before the event, over 20,000 New Yorkers marched from Foley Square to Washington Square Park in solidarity with the countrywide general strike. NYU students recently joined hundreds at another Foley Square protest after staging a walkout the week prior, and The Public Theater organized a 8-hour rally on the same day as the ICE OUT event.
“People are really feeling angry and they want to do something — they want to fight back,” Perra said. “This is a space to bring in organizers who have been in the fight and the struggle for immigration rights and immigration justice for decades, while also bringing in new people who are wanting to get involved.”
Contact Logan O’Connor at [email protected].