Gabriele Holtermann and Paul Frangipane, for the Brooklyn Paper
March 24, 2026
Dozens of faith leaders and community members gathered at the Flatbush Jewish Center in Kensington on March 22 for the District 39 Interfaith Immigration Summit, mobilizing against the Trump administration’s continued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in immigrant neighborhoods and mass deportations that continue to disrupt communities across New York City.
The half-day summit was hosted by Council Member Shahana Hanif, who represents the 39th District, and the Interfaith Center of New York (ICNY). It aimed to build solidarity, share resources and organize a coordinated interfaith response to roving ICE raids, enforcement at immigration courts and shifting federal policies through Know Your Rights trainings, rapid-response planning, hand-in-hand domestic employers training, and community-building sessions.
Hanif, whose district includes parts of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and the Columbia Waterfront, said she hoped the summit would not only provide a platform for community members to learn about each other’s faiths and traditions but also lay the groundwork for long-lasting friendships and collaboration.
