Adriano Espaillat · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Recognizing Dyckman Basketball

2026-09-02

“I want to praise a basketball program in my district. This program has been around for many years. It is well-known and popular. Many people go to the games. Basketball is important in my district. I am thankful for this program.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon in recognition and honor of the positive impact of Dyckman Basketball and what it has had on the communities of Inwood, Washington Heights, and across Upper Manhattan. All summer, players and fans from the community descend on the famed court on 204th Street. I may say that the entire city goes there because of its caliber. In the 1980s, Kenny Stevens, Omar Booth, and Michael Jenkins established the Dyckman Tournament, seeing that basketball was a positive outlet for neighborhoods that were in the throes of the crack epidemic. Sharon Bond and Kenneth Stevens continue to be the leaders of this program. Since then, it has grown tremendously and now is viewed as the premier--not one of the premiers, but the premier--street ball contest program in the country, which draws crowds, sponsors, and talent from across the Nation. The courts are equally packed and lively during pickup games and exhibition games, which include top talent such as Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, and Kevin Durant. Basketball is integral to the identity and passion of New York's 13th District. We have the Dyckman Tournament and staff to thank for it. Don't forget: Go Knicks.

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House of Representatives

Liberty and Justice for All

2026-09-01

“I don't like Trump. ICE is bad. 76 people died. That's a lot. People are mad. I went to court. I want to check on the detention centers. They need to be better. People don't like ICE. It's bad. A man named Lorenzo died. That was sad. It could have been stopped. We need more rules. No masks. Body cameras. Less guns. More rules. Republicans gave them money. That was bad. I want more rules.”

Official Congressional Record

Thank you, Congresswoman Torres, for your leadership on this issue and convening us here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to forcefully speak against the Trump administration's horrific ICE abuses and to demand accountability for the deaths of 76 individuals that have died at the hands of DHS since the start of 2025. Whether in ICE detention or due to violence in our street, DHS is responsible for the deaths of 35 individuals--and one more today--this year. The American public is outraged at the brutality of ICE, and they demand accountability. We demand accountability. For that reason, Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus went to court in order to access those detention centers so that we could exercise our oversight duties and make sure that the conditions are right and humane. According to polls, 63 percent of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, disapprove of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws. We all know ``ICE is out of control''; ``ICE estan fuera de control.'' In July, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, and Homeland Security Democrats held an oversight forum in Houston after the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Like Lorenzo's family, dozens of families across the country continue to mourn the unjust death of their loved ones. We know these deaths could have been prevented. That is why the Hispanic Caucus has continued to push for guardrails in all ICE funding, requiring for ICE agents to identify themselves, no masks during enforcement, body cameras recording all enforcement actions, limits on firearms used in civil immigration operations, and protections of sensitive locations, and many more. In less than a year, Republicans have given nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars to immigration enforcement without any guardrails. Not one. The CHC will continue to demand reforms and accountability.

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House of Representatives

Congratulating John Avila

2026-09-01

“A young person from my district went to college and law school. Now he is a lawyer. Good job.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate a young constituent, John Avila. I first met John when he was working toward his bachelor's degree in the prelaw track of New York University. I met him outside of Our Lady of Angels Roman Catholic Church in my district, in the Bronx part of the district. As a son of Luis and Ivonne Avila, two Ecuadorian immigrants who settled in the Bronx in the 1990s, he said that he noticed disparities around him and believed that a just legal system could help bridge the opportunity gap. After graduating from NYU, he became a paralegal during COVID and enrolled in New York Law School. Through his hard work, he was able to graduate with his law degree in 2022. He now works at a personal injury firm. He says that he looks forward to mentoring other aspiring lawyers, especially children of immigrants. I congratulate John on all of his accomplishments. I know that his family is very proud of him.

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