Feb. 14, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan
Several scammers have been dressing up as Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a means to extort cash out of undocumented immigrants by claiming that they will be deported if they don’t pay up, according to reports received by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, whose office has received reports of such incidents in Woodside, is planning a rally against the scam at 5 p.m. tonight at 65th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, bringing in organizations to speak on the rights of undocumented immigrants, services available to them, and how to respond if targeted by an ICE officer.
Van Bramer heard several reports from constituents who were targeted by fake ICE agents, said his spokeswoman, and one specifically was told that if he did not give the agents money he would be taken in to custody.
Van Bramer has notified the NYPD, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, and the Attorney General of the scam.
The scam is particularly worrisome, Van Bramer’s office said, because it plays off of the fear of legitimate ICE raids that have taken place in the city over the last week, which saw 41 undocumented immigrants taken in to custody.
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44 Comments
I love the way that people who do absolutely nothing for the community can find the time to complain about people like Jimmy Van Bramer who has been out there working for his constituents for years. All you who know so much about how it ought to be … ought to be out there, doing something instead of slinging hatred. Sunnyside is supposed to be one of the most diverse neighborhoods in NYC, but you’d never know it here. I wonder if your immigrant neighbors know what some of you think about them.
Common sense- was it edie?
Hey Common Sense. I’ve lived here for a long time and I really can’t think of this bar you are talking about by a stop sign hear in Sunnyside. “Fake news”. You must be talking about the local bar in that little town you just moved here from. Your name you write under does not reflect you comments.
That’s right. Because YOU cannot think of a bar, then it must not exist. This is a fine example of the kind of cognitive disability dumpster voters have. You live in your bubble, and anybody that isn’t in the same bubble or thinks like you must not be sane. Then you go on the attack, instead of addressing the “facts.” You know, those pesky little f*ckers that keep getting in conservatives’ way. So they invent “alternate” facts and fake news, then act like an 8 year old and say “whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” Yeah, that’s mature.
So which bar in Sunnyside? Near a stop sign? not Sunnyside…Liberals can never answer a question
JVB is damned if he does and damned if he don’t. these comments are an embarrassment to Sunnyside. It is hard for me to believe my neighbors are so incredibly simple in their understanding of what this scam implies for everyone legal and otherwise. Also mind blowing is the idea that immigration status isn’t something that is reserved for recent arrivals from S. America, Asia and such. Attaining legal status and getting preyed upon has by scams has also challenged European immigrants in this area necessitating the wonderful Emerald Isle office.
Stop with the partisan, xenophobic nonsense and take care of your neighbors. They are people regardless of status.
JVB is all starting he loves his rallies loves marching over the bridge loves being down by the projects loves photo-ops and loves causing problems and he can’t accept the fact that Trump won — that is his MAJOR problem — no more freebies and that is all he wants to give out —
People forget the definition between LEGAL and ILLEGAL immigrants. If people sneak across our borders they have committed a CRIME. It is not lack of compassion, but survival of our country. ILLEGAL immigrants are treated with more “compassion” than the veterans who have fought for our country. They are treated better than our elderly who now rely on Social Security to survive. LEGAL Immigrants HAVE built and HAVE contributed to the USA. What are the ILLEGALs contributed??
Again, speaking common sense to the liberals… is like telling a cat to sit
Whenever I read the comments section of this newspaper I am reminded how many people here lack compassion.
Agreed. I love knowing what is going on in the Neighborhood but I am always disheartened by how base and negative the comments are here. Yet….I can’t look away. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion.
JVB protests all the illegals this is what he does best — and photo-op I wish to God he would just do his job and stop with all of the BS that is not true – he has a habit of making up alot of stories for which there not ever is any proof at all –
People believe in this guy, Jesus, who they claim said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” But believing and practicing are two different things.
Jesus also doesn’t believe in killing unborn children
Hypocrisy at its finest! No to a homeless shelter that could’ve housed veterans but yes let’s leave the illegals with criminal records and let’s take in all the refugees. These are all the same people who PAY to join a private park! Hysterical! Go away hipsters back to your hobunk towns. #makesunnysidegreatagain
Where do these people think all these refugees they want to welcome in are going to go? They’ll place them in the hotels turned homeless shelters. Oh wait, they rallied to stop that. Soooo….do they want the refugees or not? Or do they want them as long as they don’t come to their neighborhood.
Remember all the irish imigrants who made sunnyside great.
No one is disputing immigrants. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS with felony convictions
This does not call for a rally. I’ve had it with Van Bramer! This is ridiculous. Does he throw together a rally every time someone breaks the law? There’s a ton of dog shit on 43rd street. Let’s rally!!
If you’re here illegally, I have no sympathy for you. If I snuck into Mexico with no papers, I’d be in jail so fast, I would only wish they would deport me.
JVB was just on channel 5 news talking about this on 65th Street – they are all of his people
His voters!
These are the people that need to go, the day labor guys who hang out by Gleesons, 69st/roosevelt, woodside ave/69st, GET OUT!
Do something captain woodside
What is the matter with you? They are vulnerable human beings targeted by conniving thieves.
This does sound like a pr stunt. What is with this guy and his rallys? Anything to make it seem like hes doing something
did his office say “legitimate” raids!? im surprised not to hear another SSP rant on how evil Trump is followed by a call to march over the bridge again.
JVB is at it again for more attention — where is the proof –
Bs story,,make believe
Van Bramer should pay more attention to support police and ICE to fight crimes instead to teacher undocumented immigrants how to ‘respond to’ (aka. fight against?) to an ICE officer.
My question is how could somebody who publicly promote illegal entrance to US can be elected for public service and elected by whom?
if they are undocumented immigrants then how can they be constituents of JVB? it really takes a scammer to know a scammer.
Imagine a world where people just look out for others no matter which man-made map district they live in or where they come from. Hmph, but what do I know.
see, that’s not JVB though. No matter how good you may think his intentions are a lot of shit has been happening on his watch.
-Anon Name a time in history or on “somebody’s watch” absolutely nothing happened……
You’re right. The Democratic Party is paying people to dress up as ICE agents to create headlines.
does JVB have proof of all of this — another made up story as usual
Jimmy needs to have his photograph taken again! What would life be like without another fake Jimmy story? The only people he does not seem to be concerned about are the people who were born here and pay taxes – pay his salary. #whatafake
You know, it’s possible that they could have been legal aliens that were being harassed for merely looking like a stereotypical illegal alien.
It’s also possible the Democratic Party is paying folks to be phony ICE agents to stir headlines
Or maybe people who feel emboldened by the dumpster to intimidate and marginalize minorities. This has already occurred all over the country with incidences of this kind of harassment, racism, bigotry and sexism.
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Just the other day I saw a woman, who looked like a meth addict, smoking a cigarette outside a bar at 2:00 in the afternoon yelling at a driver approaching a stop sign accusing them of being illegal. Here in sunnyside.
You are judging her by saying she looks like a meth addict. Maybe she’s sick? Maybe she’s a veteran with PTSD. Good job trying to stick with what you say by doing the exact thing you despise
Thanks for your input, however misguided.
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She wasn’t sick, she was drunk. That much was obvious. She couldn’t even stand up straight. She looked like she smokes 2 packs a day, thus the ragged look. Smoking has negative effects on the skin’s elasticity. This is fact.
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But in your holier-than-thou sanctimonious rant, you missed the point entirely. She felt emboldened enough to throw a rant on a public street corner at a man inside an SUV with tinted windows. She assumed he was hispanic, and if he was hispanic, then he was ‘probably’ illegal. This was the point. Her appearance, drunk and disorderly, exemplified the hypocrisy of those decrying immigrants as drunks, rapists, and disorderly hanging out in local parks.
Maybe you need to walk around the neighborhood more or leave the private park. There are drunk Mexicans that drink all day and urinate in the children’s play area at rainbow park and Lou losati. That’s not a generalization. Go to a community board meeting to hear the facts from the precinct.
And there are white people scamming ATM’s. White guys employing extortion. White guys taking your retirement savings. There are white people scamming the government through loopholes and white privilege. But people like you tend to focus on what they don’t like. People of different color and culture. THAT’S what you focus on. Instead of the white bankers and corporations ducking taxes and sucking the economy dry, but mexicans in a public park drinking a beer is your problem. Yah, right. I understand. Don’t worry about those that are raping you economically, dictating their morals on you through life or death ultimatums, but the guy waiting for a job on a street corner is of concern to you.
Sunnyside, no im focusing on the illegal immigrants with felony convictions that shouldn’t be allowed to stay. Unfortunately we can’t deport our own citizens. And yes those things are important because while I try to play with my kids in the non private park, where all the liberals go, they have to see drunk men peeing and drinking at 1 in the afternoon. Yea they are contributing so much to society with their hard work. Sunnyside used to be safe before all you liberals came in and are so all encompassing of “minimal crimes” until they happen to you. Until your identity gets stolen, until your home gets broken into, until your kid gets exposed. Wake up, actually go to the community board meetings to hear facts! STFU!