Reports of ICE sighting near PS 1 prompt community mobilization

Reports of federal immigration agents near PS 001 on 47th Street and Fourth Avenue prompted a community mobilization Wednesday evening, after multiple witnesses said they saw three unmarked ICE vehicles in the area. The sightings included reports of a person being taken into custody on Fourth Avenue. The individual’s identity is unknown, and witnesses said the person did not appear connected to the school or its afterschool programming.

The incident unfolded while Center for Family Life staff, parents, and children from Street Soccer USA’s Kick It Like a Girl initiative were inside the school building for regular evening activities. According to several observers, ICE officers had left the immediate area by around 7:30 p.m.

By 8:30 p.m., approximately 25 community responders had gathered outside PS 001. Many had been alerted by neighborhood rapid response networks and came to serve as witnesses, support families inside the building, and monitor the situation while awaiting children and staff to leave. Several responders walked residents home once the area was considered clear.

Street Soccer USA sent an email to families at 6:40 p.m. warning of the reports.

“We wanted to share that there were reports of ICE officers near 47th Street and 4th Avenue earlier today,” the email read. “We’re sharing this just to keep everyone informed; please stay alert as a precaution. The safety of our community remains our top priority.”

Councilmember Alexa Avilés was alerted to the situation. At 7:45 p.m., the communications director from her office, Winnie Marion, left a message with The Sunset Post requesting press coverage. “We’ve gotten a few reports of activity at PS 001 tonight,” according to the message. Marion said the goal was to have local publications on hand to document the activity and help hold agents accountable.

Avilés arrived at the school shortly after 9 p.m. She gathered contact information from responders and emphasized the need for training and coordinated roles during future incidents.

“There has to be some coordination around roles and responsibility,” she said. “There’s communicators, there’s watchers, there’s walkers, and there’s interrupters. Not everybody does everything, not everyone’s prepared to do everything, but folks should be trained for whatever role they’re going to take and understand how you escalate and how you report and how you interrupt, if that’s what you decide to do, because it’s a high-risk situation.”

She also encouraged local groups to consider Know Your Rights workshops for parents and clearer guidance on how to report sightings.

Avilés noted that while her office has assisted families whose loved ones were detained during immigration hearings at federal courts, she has not recently received verified reports of people being taken in Sunset Park itself — something that was more common during the first Trump administration, she said.

One of the coaches from Street Soccer spoke with responders and thanked them for showing up. He said it was the first time their program had encountered an incident like this.

“I appreciate you all being here,” he said. “I think the parents that were here all felt safe. We spoke to them in there and they seemed okay.”

PS 001 hosts daily afterschool programming and functions as an important community hub for many immigrant families. While Tuesday’s incident ended without further conflict, it underscored the strong neighborhood immigrant support network and, according to Avilés, the need for clearer, better-coordinated response systems moving forward.