NYC's community gardens and farms are uniting for a host of community events this weekend to protest against the Trump Administration's ordered ICE Raids and the inhumane detention of migrants on the Southern border.
From Friday, July 19 through Sunday, 21 gardens and farms in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx are opening their spaces to engage the community in postcard writing campaigns to elected officials and fundraising activities but also moments of quiet reflection.
Seven of the 15 participating green spaces are located in Brooklyn and include Flatbush's Veronica Place Garden, UCC Youth Farm in East New York, Maple Street Community Garden in Crown Heights, Bushwick City Farm as well as 462 Halsey Community Farm in Bedford Stuyvesant, among others.
Brooklyn is home to nearly 950,000 foreign-born residents—nearly 40 percent of the borough's population; it is estimated that close to 190,000 of them are undocumented. Among U.S. counties, Brooklyn ranks ninth in total undocumented residents.
"New Yorkers know that immigrants are a vital part of our community and that all people deserve respect and humane treatment," said Alice Forbes-Spear of the 462 Halsey Community Garden.
The protest comes merely a week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement threatened a deportation blitz to arrest thousands of undocumented immigrants last weekend. With their events, the gardens want to send a resounding message that "New Yorkers stand in solidarity with immigrants across the country and reject the Trump Administration's unjust immigration policies."
Gardens across New York City have historically been places for building and organizing in their communities, and these events are no different, organizers said.
"Community gardens and farms do more than just grow food and provide relaxing green spaces," said Forbes-Square. "We are important organizing spaces in our communities, and we will stand up for what is right. Together, we will amplify each others' voices."
For a complete list of participating gardens and farms, along with the date and time of their events, check out this map, which will be updated as more gardens confirm their event details.
