Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than 50 current and former constituents gathered outside the Glen Cove office of Rep. Tom Suozzi on Monday, demanding the immediate cessation of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Suozzi, along with six other Democrats, crossed party lines to support a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that included major financial backing for the agency.
“I was angry, because we had called his office many, many times asking him to vote no,” said Marsha Wiseltiar, of Glen Head, who joined the protest with other residents. “We don’t want to see our citizens hurt and killed and taken and handled by a bunch of thugs, and this is how you send that message.”
Maureen Tracy, a retired teacher who lives in Glen Cove, said Suozzi’s vote felt like a betrayal after she had supported his campaigns for years.
“My grandparents were immigrants from Ireland, and they were not treated the way immigrants are being treated here today,” Tracy said. “When I heard about Tom Suozzi’s vote, I was furious. We did door-to-door for him. We supported him 100 percent.
There are plenty of fabulous people in our communities who are not criminals like they’re trying to say.”
Outside Suozzi’s office, demonstrators held signs and chanted, drawing a mix of encouragement and criticism from passing drivers. One shouted, “Get a job!” prompting a protester to respond, “Get a conscience!” Other drivers honked in support and asked how they could help.
The rally was sparked by Suozzi’s Jan. 22 vote in favor of a $64 billion Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. Suozzi and fellow Long Island Democrat Laura Gillen were two of just seven House Democrats who supported the measure, which will fund DHS and agencies under its umbrella, including ICE.
Days later, Suozzi publicly distanced himself from the vote, following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis. Pretti’s was the second deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal agent in the city in last month, after the killing of Renee Good.
“I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,” Suozzi wrote in a statement. “I hear the anger from my constituents and I take responsibility for that.”
An employee of Suozzi’s office met with protesters during Monday’s rally, distributing comment sheets on which residents could write concerns and complaints for the congressman to review. In a follow-up statement after the protest, Suozzi condemned recent immigration enforcement tactics while reiterating support for border security.
“ICE’s illegal and immoral actions have dramatically affected all Americans and protestors today represent all of us who are demanding change,” he wrote. “The Trump administration is right to secure the border and deport violent criminals, but masked agents breaking car windows and dragging people out of their cars, assaulting protestors, conducting violent warrantless raids and killing people is outrageously wrong, un-American, and I will fight to stop them.”
Halle Brenner, a Huntington resident and a co-founder of Show Up Long Island, who organized the protest, said the group formed in 2017, during President Trump’s first term.
“We spend a lot of time holding Republican officials accountable because they’ve pushed these policies,” Brenner said. “But when a Democratic politician does something we don’t agree with, we have to be there, too. We’ve written postcards for Tom Suozzi, knocked on doors, made phone calls for his campaigns. That’s why this hurt.”
Brenner said that the group views ICE’s actions across the country as increasingly violent and unconstitutional. “They’re smashing car windows, dragging people out of vehicles, breaking down doors without warrants, separating families,” she said. “To keep funding this agency is astonishing. It’s un-American, and dangerous to all of us.”
While Brenner said she appreciated Suozzi acknowledging his mistake, she emphasized that future votes will matter more than statements. “Apologies are meaningless unless actions follow,” she said. “We’ll see what he does the next time funding comes up.”
Tracy echoed that sentiment, saying she was encouraged by Suozzi’s reversal but wanted to make sure he stuck to it. “I was thrilled to see a congressman admit he was wrong,” she said, “but we’re here to remind him — and to make sure he does the right moral thing moving forward.”
Wiseltiar said that recent events have motivated residents who were previously less politically active.
“What’s happening now has really pushed people into action,” she said. “We’re watching neighbors taken, communities destroyed. People can’t stay silent anymore.”
In a phone call to the Herald on Tuesday, a representative from Suozzi’s office confirmed that he personally responded to all of the comment forms submitted by protesters.
Organizers said they plan to continue demonstrating if future congressional votes continue to fund ICE, stressing that Monday’s protest was only one step in a broader push for immigration reform and accountability.
“This isn’t going away,” Brenner said. “We still have time to stop what’s happening — but only if we keep showing up.”
