Monday, July 14, 2025
ICE agents were at the near the Glen Street train station in an unannounced enforcement operation that drew concern from local leaders and immigrant advocates.
City officers responded around 8:30 a.m. to a call about a possible assault on Cedar Swamp Road. Upon arrival, they found U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents taking individuals into custody.
The arrests took place in an area where day laborers often gather for work. Reports say witnesses reported seeing several people detained near businesses along the road. Residents and workers expressed fear following the arrests, particularly among Glen Cove’s Hispanic and Latino community, which makes up over a third of the city’s population.
The incident came just a day after a similar ICE operation drew protest in Westbury and follows a broader trend of increased federal immigration enforcement across Long Island and the country. Advocates said the operations often sweep up individuals without criminal records, creating widespread fear among immigrant communities.
At press time, ICE had not released details about the number of people arrested in Glen Cove or the nature of the investigation.
Assemblymember Charles Lavine, released a statement strongly condemned the action. He criticized the “excessive and aggressive display of force,” describing the agents as armed and masked. Lavine said similar tactics were used in Westbury earlier this week near an elementary school.
“What is purportedly designed to rid us of criminals has instead turned into an unjustified show of brute force,” Lavine said. He called the result “an intimidation and threat to the peace and safety of our communities,” adding that the fear instilled in children was “crudely un-American.”
