_________________ _________________ FREEPORT FreePort
HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
Village has fireworks show
Beloved firefighter dies at 95
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Vol. 90 No. 27
JUlY 3 - 9, 2025
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ICE presence continues to spread fear “It’s like a hunt,” Pineyro explained, drawing a stark comparison to “The Hunger Of the Herald Games” in describing how Parts of the Freeport com- community members are being pursued. munity are living in fear. T he impact extends f ar Car men Pineyro, for mer F r e e p o r t d e p u t y m a y o r, beyond individual ar rests. describes a disturbing new Local businesses have been decimated, she reality, in which said, and once-busthe federal Immitling streets have gration and Cusnow gone quiet. toms Enforcement The psychologiagency has transcal toll is perhaps fo r m e d s o m e o f e ve n m o r e p r o F r e e p o r t ’s o n c e found, especially tightly knit neighon children who borhoods into a watch as their parlandscape of ents and neighbors uncertainty and are suddenly and even terror. violently removed The raids began from their commuin early June, tar- CARMeN PINeYRo nity. geting what Piney- Freeport resident Pineyro’s perro described as sonal history adds “hardworking mom and pops, neighbors and stu- depth to her perspective. Growing up in Freeport, she rememdents” rather than criminals. What makes these opera- bers similar experiences in the tions particularly devastating, late 1980s, when ICE’s pre-Sept. she said, is their indiscrimi- 11 predecessor, Immigration and Naturalization Services, nate nature. ICE agents are reportedly reportedly separated families. staking out bus stops, conduct- She emphasized, however, that ing early-morning checks in today’s operations strike her as apartment complexes, and tar- more fear-driven. The current wave of activity geting individuals based on racial profiling. Continued on page 5
By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ & MASHIAT AZMI
I
Deliah Roberts/Herald
evan olk was one of 11 graduates who celebrated moving on from Woodward Children’s Center in a ceremony on June 26 at the school.
Woodward School holds 2025 graduation ceremony By MASHIAT AZMI Intern
Woodward Children’s Center, a supportive and therapeutic learning environment tailored to unique needs of each student, at 201 W Merrick Rd in Freeport celebrated its annual graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 on June 26, ushering 11 students aged around 18-21 into the next stage of their academic lives. Matthew Heller, Woodward’s theater teacher, hosted the ceremony, which began at 10 a.m. at the indoor gymnasium. Claudia Swansey, Woodward’s board president, emphasized the importance of the
graduation ceremony for these students in the community. “Woodward has a trove of treasure here in these walls, and that consists of the staff and the students,” Swansey said. “And we worked a bit, not only to ensure they have an education, but also their character building and understand that they have a purpose in life.” The center’s aim is to focus on both the character and educational development of its 80 full time students from age 5-21 students. Swansey added that the school has introduced vocational and technological programs designed to prepare students for an Continued on page 8
f it happens to your neighbor, shortly thereafter it can happen to you, too.