A coalition of West Bronx and Upper Manhattan elected officials are urging the owners of the Shops at Marble Hill to prohibit federal immigration agents from using the plaza’s Target parking lot as a staging area for enforcement activity.
In a letter sent Monday Oct. 5 to Kingsbridge Associates, the developers of the plaza, the officials asked the company to confirm whether it has authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to use the privately owned parking lot. If so, they asked Kingsbridge Associates to terminate any agreements with the federal agency for the property’s use, unless required by law.
“This is private property operated by or for Target, where our neighbors shop, work, and bring their families,” the letter said. “In a borough home to hundreds of thousands of immigrants, our residents should not have to fear that their neighborhood shops are being used as a staging ground for immigration enforcement.”
The letter comes amid several citizen reports of ICE activity at the Marble Hill Target. In May, Jewish activists held a protest at the store, calling on Target to end what they described as cooperation with ICE. Videos and posts also circulated online warning residents about the presence of ICE agents at the location.
Kingsbridge Associates did not respond to phone calls and emails from the Bronx Times in time for publication.
A Target spokesperson told the Bronx Times by email that the company has no cooperative agreements with ICE or any other immigration enforcement agency. The company has still faced heat over reports of ICE agents using Target parking lots at locations around the country for staging.
While Marble Hill is technically part of Manhattan, the neighborhood is geographically located on the Bronx side of the Harlem River, prompting elected officials from both boroughs to join the letter.
The letter was signed by Councilmembers Pierina Sanchez, Carmen De La Rosa and Eric Dinowitz, state Senators Gustavo Rivera and Robert Jackson, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
The elected officials requested a written response by Oct. 31.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
