NYC Democratic socialists organize "rapid response" network to oppose ICE operations
By lauraharris // 2026-01-20
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  • The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is organizing a large "rapid response" network to monitor and disrupt Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, training more than 4,000 activists and canvassing immigrant neighborhoods to build support.
  • At a Jan. 15 meeting at the People's Forum, DSA leaders outlined plans to expand ICE hotlines, recruit multilingual volunteers, activate additional trainers and coordinate actions through private Signal chats.
  • Organizers cited the recent death of Renee Good in Minnesota as motivation and a model for adopting more confrontational anti-ICE tactics in New York.
  • DSA leaders described ICE as a violent organization and promoted a "form a crowd, stay loud" strategy, including the use of whistles to alert communities to ICE's presence.
  • Separately, commentary from ZeroHedge and other analysts alleges that dark-money nonprofits linked to China-connected billionaire Neville Roy Singham may be supporting anti-ICE protests nationwide, raising concerns about foreign influence and coordinated protest infrastructure.
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is organizing a large-scale "rapid response" network to monitor and obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts amid expectations of increased federal activity in the city. During a meeting of the Immigrant Justice Working Group on Jan. 15, DSA leaders outlined plans to train more than 4,000 activists, including roughly 2,000 DSA members and 2,000 non-members, to respond quickly to reported ICE activity across New York's immigrant neighborhoods. Members are also canvassing immigrant areas, such as Chinatown, Bushwick and Jackson Heights, to recruit supporters. The group is using private Signal chats to organize their rapid-response actions. The meeting, attended by more than 100 people, was held at the People's Forum in Midtown Manhattan, a left-wing political and cultural space. Organizers said the effort includes activating 50 additional trainers, expanding staffing for an ICE hotline to operate around the clock and recruiting multilingual volunteers to assist immigrant communities. Appeals were made for speakers of languages including Pular, Fulani and Haitian Creole. The group did not disclose the cost of the initiative, but leaders repeatedly solicited donations during the nearly two-hour meeting, emphasizing that member contributions funded the organization. Many new attendees cite the recent death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman who was fatally shot earlier this month during a confrontation involving ICE agents. Organizers described Good's involvement with an anti-ICE group in Minnesota as a model for more confrontational tactics they hope to replicate in New York. They called ICE a violent organization and described immigration enforcement as part of a broader U.S. "imperialist project," promoting a "form a crowd, stay loud" approach that includes blowing whistles to alert neighborhoods to ICE's presence. "We do have a lot of whistles," said Leemah Nasrati, a leader who works as a pro bono refugee lawyer and helps run the Q and A sessions at the DSA's monthly "Know Your Rights" trainings, which explain how ICE operates. Leaders said the whistle signals would carry across neighborhoods.

Claims of foreign-linked NGO influence emerge amid anti-ICE protests

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, anti-ICE protest is often organized by individuals and groups related to immigration enforcement, detention and deportation. These protests are frequently characterized by left-wing ideologies that prioritize open borders and the rights of undocumented immigrants over national security and public safety. Tyler Durden of ZeroHedge notes that a network of dark-money nonprofit groups allegedly linked to a China-connected billionaire may be playing a central role in organizing anti-ICE protests in New York City and beyond. He points to ties between left-wing activist organizations and Neville Roy Singham, a wealthy businessman who has publicly supported communist causes and whose philanthropy has been scrutinized for alleged links to groups sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). According to Durden, the nonprofit network is serving as a logistical and organizational hub for nationwide protests opposing federal immigration enforcement, including recent anti-ICE actions in New York. He further contends that Democratic-aligned organizations and groups such as the DSA are engaging in a coordinated effort to resist deportations as part of a broader political strategy. An NGO analyst who has studied the Singham-linked network told ZeroHedge that venues like the People's Forum in Manhattan have become "ground zero" for protest organizing and alleged foreign-linked activism, calling recent collaboration with DSA activists "a significant escalation." The analyst warned that with thousands of DSA members in New York alone, the potential for large-scale unrest remains. Watch the video below that talks about Trump's deployment of National Guard in Washington.
This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com NYPost.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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