I want to share my story. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. I’m still in shock at how the NYPD and ICE treated me, but what shocks me more is how the NYPD is twisting the truth, using people like me as scapegoats. We need to talk about what’s really happening — how little protection there is for immigrants, both long-time residents and newly arrived New Yorkers like me, and how quickly those in power will abandon the law when it suits them. In January, my life was turned upside down. The NYPD claimed I was part of a violent attack on officers in Times Square. They branded me a gang member and a fugitive. And they implied that because of laws designed to protect immigrants like me from abuse, they were unable to stop us from doing something dangerous. All these claims were lies. I never left New York; I was here the whole time, waiting for my court date. I was never part of a gang either. And it was the NYPD who initiated the violence that day, as video evidence later revealed. I never assaulted a police officer, and that charge was dropped. I plead guilty to a misdemeanor for kicking a police radio after witnessing officers brutally attack my friends. But you don’t hear about any of this, or the further violations to me and my family. The injustice started the night I was arrested. On a cold and snowy February night, NYPD and ICE officers stormed into my apartment with guns drawn, shouting. I was half-asleep and terrified. They ignored my pleas not to scare the children and dragged me barefoot into the freezing snow, and told me I was being deported. For days, my family was trapped inside the apartment by NYPD officers guarding outside. They couldn’t leave, even for food. Children went hungry. Why was ICE there? The NYPD says the law prevents them from working with ICE. But not that day. Not when they wanted to make an example out of me. After my arrest, they threw me into an immigration jail in Orange County. It was like being buried alive. I couldn’t shower or even make a phone call. I never saw an immigration judge, never had a chance to ask for bond. None of this was legal. Later, they sent me to Rikers Island to wait for my criminal case. Even if I’d posted bail, I wouldn’t have been released because ICE had already claimed me. It’s been months since that nightmare, and the Bronx Defenders have helped me understand just how many of my rights were violated. But what shocks me the most is how quickly elected officials rushed to judgment without knowing the facts.  The governor went on TV and said people like me should be locked up. She didn’t care about the truth — only about looking tough. The NYPD didn’t care about my rights either — only about protecting their pride. And when the facts came to light, none of them were forced by the media to answer for them, including why the NYPD and ICE worked together that day, in violation of the law. It’s terrifying to realize how vulnerable we are as recently arrived New Yorkers. The laws that are supposed to protect us are barely holding on, and when they work, the NYPD violates them anyway without any consequences to them. This isn’t about letting anyone get away with anything; I care about living in a safe city. But it cannot come at the expense of our rights and separating families based on lies and broken laws. Immigrants shouldn’t be afraid to interact with the government. And the government shouldn’t make New Yorkers afraid of each other either. When they do so based on lies or ignoring the law, there should be accountability. That’s why I support a proposed City Council law (Intro 214) that would give people like me the power to sue when the NYPD breaks the law and causes harm. If the police have nothing to hide, they shouldn’t fear any scrutiny. The fight for justice shouldn’t depend on where you were born. It should depend on the truth. And the truth is, we all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter how long we’ve been here. That’s the New York I believe in, and I believe most New Yorkers want that too. Servita Arocha is a recently arrived New Yorker from Venezuela who is fighting his deportation case through The Bronx Defenders.