BPC Seniors Brave Cold to Demand 'End ICE Before More People Die'

Some of the nearly two dozen residents of the Capstone who demonstrated during the nationwide Free America Walkout on Jan. 20. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Nearly two dozen tenants of Battery Park City’s senior residence, some well into their 90s and aided by walkers, canes and wheelchairs, braved freezing temperatures to show solidarity with the nationwide Free America Walkout Against ICE on Jan. 20. They sang, chanted and held signs in front of their building, the Capstone, declaring “Democracy Not Autocracy” and “End Ice Before More People Die.”

“People who don’t ever go out in this weather went out today,” said Barbara Sprung, 92, one of the organizers of Senior Action to Save Democracy, an in-residence group begun last year.

“They came out,” added co-organizer Bill Mitchell, 88, who led the songs and chants, “because we have seen the decline of democracy here, and we’re terrified, really terrified.”

The activist group, which has staged several demonstrations in front of their building, grew out of an appearance in April 2025 by Rep. Dan Goldman, who addressed the despair of those in the room over actions by the Trump administration. “Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues care more about their jobs than they do about doing the right thing,” he told the large gathering of seniors. Since organizing, the group has made it their goal to meet every other week. And when the time came to make signs for this latest demonstration, “We had a room full. We had literally standing room only,” Sprung said.  

“We’re so angry and feel so powerless that we just have to do something,” she added. “We can’t do a lot. But we can do this. We can make our voices heard.”