Community members say the separation of young migrant children is “cruel” and “traumatic” as federal crackdowns intensify.
Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered at a Queens playground on Sunday to protest the federal government’s decision to separate a 6-year-old migrant boy from his father during a recent immigration arrest.
The child, Yuanxin Zheng, had been attending P.S. 166 in Astoria before he and his father were detained on Nov. 26 during what the family believed would be a routine check-in with immigration officials. Instead, the two were taken into custody, and Yuanxin was forcibly removed from his father soon afterward.
He is among the youngest children separated from a parent in New York City since President Trump’s renewed deportation crackdown began.
Queens Community Gathers to Demand Action
The rally, held at a playground on 35th Avenue, drew families, teachers, neighbors, and local officials who said the separation endangered the boy’s well-being and violated basic human decency.
“Taking children from their families is not normal. It is cruelty,” said Camille Hlavka, one of the event organizers and a P.S. 166 parent. “It doesn’t matter if it’s one child or a child you know, this is a human being, and he is being traumatized.”
Many attendees had direct ties to the school where Yuanxin was enrolled, and several brought their own children to the protest.
City Leaders Join the Crowd
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander addressed the crowd, urging New Yorkers to stand united against immigration policies that separate families.
“We’re not going to let ICE or Donald Trump or anyone else separate us or divide us from each other,” Lander said through a bullhorn as demonstrators held signs reading “Kids Aren’t Pawns” and “Families Belong Together.”
Parents from P.S. 166 who spoke at the rally said the arrest contradicts the nation’s longstanding identity as a place shaped by immigrants seeking safety and stability.
A Growing Fear Under a National Crackdown
Advocates warn that the current wave of arrests has created widespread fear among migrant communities across New York City. Many families now avoid routine check-ins, school events, and even medical visits out of concern that they could be detained.
Immigrant-rights groups at the rally vowed to continue pressuring local and federal officials to reunite Yuanxin with his father and ensure the safety of other children in similar situations.
