Islip Reacts to ICE Contract Pushback
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
Disparaging Hot Mic Remark Toward Advocates Escalates Fallout Over ICE Contract Renewal
ISLIP, NY - In a packed Town Board meeting last Tuesday, residents from across the Town of Islip raised their voices in opposition to the Town’s contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, an agreement that allows federal immigration agents to train at a Town-operated shooting range and is set to renew at the end of June.
Tensions escalated further when, immediately prior to public testimony, Supervisor Angie Carpenter was caught on a hot mic referring to members of Islip Forward as “assholes,” a remark advocates say reflected disregard for residents coming forward to speak.
Community members, immigrant families, and advocates warned that the agreement has become a symbol of local government complicity with an agency that has brought fear and instability to immigrant neighborhoods across Long Island. Speakers argued the contract is especially alarming as Islip continues to lead Long Island in reported immigration enforcement activity, according to community-based documentation collected through Islip Forward’s Long Island ICE Tracker.
“This contract is an affront to the immigrant families who make this town what it is,” said Ahmad Perez, founder of Islip Forward. “At a moment when families are living in fear, the Town of Islip should be distancing itself from federal immigration enforcement, not maintaining a formal agreement that enables it.”
The strong turnout and sustained opposition at the meeting reflected growing public scrutiny of the contract and broader concern over the Town’s relationship with federal immigration authorities.
“Before we even opened our mouths to testify, we were met with disrespect,” Perez added. “That moment underscored exactly why people came to speak out. When officials dismiss constituents before hearing them, it raises serious questions about who this government believes it serves.”
Islip Forward is urging residents to continue engaging the Town Board ahead of the June renewal decision and is calling on elected officials to terminate the agreement.