Protection for Immigrants
Our immigrants deserve to live without fear of the wave of deportations that have been dividing our families around the country in the last years and particularly under the treats of the current administration, under Donald Trump.
We must reform the Immigration Act to create a legislative path to citizenship for more than 11 million undocumented immigrants, and protect programs such as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.)
If our undocumented immigrants pay taxes and contribute to our society, they also should have a say in our local elections. First and foremost, they are people whose well-being contributes to safe, effective communities and public health generally.
During the Obama administration almost three million immigrants were deported, and many of them in our area. That is only is getting worse with the current President’s aggressive policies. Using our police to intimidate our immigrants because of the way they look or for what religion they follow, only creates a toxic environment for our families, and it goes against the freedoms this country has always protected.
Coming from Peru 35 years ago to the United States, I know first hand the difficulties of being an immigrant in New York City. Immigrant families should not live in fear or worry about deportations due to Broken Windows policing for petty infractions. We need to make New York a true Sanctuary city, and that begins by ending Broken Windows.
Black Lives Matter
Being a person of color in America has always been a nightmare for millions of working families who live in Public Housing or other low-income areas in big cities like New York.
Living in Red Hook for the last 27 years, I have witnessed how our Black and Latinos youth have been criminalized by the police for minor infractions particularly since Broken Windows policing started in our city during the 90’s.
Activists with Black Lives Matter movement have called for an end of Broken Windows, or at least the police should stop their approach about minor offenses.
Many experts have suggested the police should start by treating people with more respect. Under our process of greater, Community Control, members of the police should be part of the community they service, or initially, their commanders should, and they should be re-trained and given more accountability.
End Police Abuse & Broken Windows
Broken Windows policing is unnecessary and creates further tension and mistrust of the police. Broken Windows needs to end. The police need to be more accountable to the community, and that happens by having the community control more of the police budget and oversight of the police misconduct.
Police leaders should be part of our community and live in our area, either Red Hook, Sunset Park or vicinities. Their leadership should be community oriented and not a militarized force that only intimidates the neighbors.
Issues
We, the voters of District 38, have the power to change our community. We must stand up and embrace our civic responsibility of voting for elected officials who will fight on our behalf and who will be held accountable for their actions, statements, and votes. I believe that new leadership must be brought to our city and it must come from the people, not from leaders of Wall Street or established politicians. This city must be led by individuals with empathy and compassion. And after much thought and contemplation, I put myself forward for your consideration to become your next City Council member from District 38.
Here are Carmen's positions on the issues: