A baseball coach in Manhattan says he was nearly arrested after confronting ICE agents who showed up to a kids’ practice and started questioning them about where they’re from.
Youman Wilder, who has coached youth baseball on the West Side for two decades, told West Side Rag that the children — mostly middle and high schoolers — were practicing at the batting cages in Riverside Park when armed agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement approached them.
“I go over quickly and the agents are asking the kids inappropriate things like where they are from, their country of origin,” Wilder said. “So I say, ‘whoa, whoa,’ and I tell the officers that their questions are inappropriate, and that I’m going to tell my kids not to answer them.”
The ICE agents didn’t back off. According to Wilder, they accused him of obstructing justice when he told the kids they weren’t required to speak to federal officers.
“Then they started to talk about cuffing me, and that if the kids were here legally, what do they have to lose by answering,” he said. “I told them that they still have their Fifth and Fourth Amendment rights, and that they don’t have to speak to you or help with any investigation.”
Wilder, who holds a law degree from Grand Canyon University, reminded the agents that constitutional rights apply to everyone — citizen or not.
“The officers were saying we don’t know if they are American citizens, but I said, it doesn’t matter if they are American citizens or not, they still have constitutional rights,” Wilder said. “You still violate their Fourth, Fifth, or 14th Amendment rights.”
A small crowd gathered during the standoff, but Wilder says ICE agents threatened bystanders too.
“They started telling people to move back, that they would be arrested for interfering, and not to take pictures,” he said.
Wilder said he kept his voice calm and focused on protecting the kids.
“I never raised my voice. I just talked about the law,” he said. “And I was just focused on how can I get these kids to where they need to go, when they are in my care.”
All of the players were born in the U.S., though their families come from different parts of the world. After the incident, some parents said they’re now afraid to send their children back to that part of the park.
Wilder called the moment a lesson in knowing your rights. “It’s all about civics. If you don’t know your rights, they will trample on them,” he said.
ICE has not confirmed whether its agents were in Riverside Park that day. When West Side Rag contacted the agency, a spokesperson promised a statement but hasn’t provided one.
Reports of ICE impersonations have increased nationwide, with some agents — or those posing as agents — targeting people in public spaces, according to The American Prospect.
For Wilder, the biggest concern wasn’t himself — it was getting his team home safe.
