From Patriotic Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Hamas Haven | The American Spectator

As someone who was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and a former Republican City Council candidate who ran to represent this proud community, I’ve witnessed firsthand the profound shifts that unchecked immigration policies can bring to communities throughout our country.

President Trump’s recent announcements to expand a travel ban to at least 30 countries, halt asylum processing, and scrutinize hundreds of thousands of green cards and visas, come at a critical moment. These measures, prompted by the horrific Thanksgiving Eve shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., are not just prudent — they’re essential to safeguarding our nation’s security and cultural fabric.

The alleged perpetrator, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. legally under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome in 2021, only to be granted asylum and later unleash deadly violence that claimed the life of one Guardsman and left another critically injured. This tragedy underscores a glaring truth: our immigration system has failed to vet those who harbor ill intent, allowing potential threats to embed themselves in our society.

Bay Ridge serves as a microcosm of what has unfolded across America due to lax border policies and unvetted influxes. Once a bastion of Italian and Irish immigrants who embodied the patriotic spirit of our nation, this neighborhood was built on hard work, family values, and unwavering loyalty to the American flag. My grandparents, like so many others from Italy and Ireland, arrived here seeking opportunity, not entitlement. They assimilated eagerly — learning English, working hard, and serving in our military during times of war. Bay Ridge’s streets echoed with celebrations of Independence Day parades and memorials for our veterans, fostering a tight-knit community proud of its contributions to the greatest country on Earth.

But over the past decades, demographic changes have transformed Bay Ridge in ways that alarm longtime residents. A significant influx of Palestinian immigrants and their descendants has shifted the area’s character, introducing elements that clash with our core American values. What was once a symbol of successful integration now hosts frequent displays of support for groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. For instance, in March 2025, during a “rally to defend Palestine,” protesters openly waved Hamas flags, chanting slogans that glorified the group while denouncing “Zionists.”

This wasn’t an isolated incident; similar scenes unfolded in August 2024, when dozens gathered in Brooklyn to hold a vigil glorifying Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed by Israel. Participants mourned Haniyeh as a martyr, ignoring his role in orchestrating attacks that killed innocents.

These aren’t mere expressions of free speech — they’re endorsements of terrorism on our streets. In October 2023, thousands marched through Bay Ridge and beyond, demanding the “eradication of Israel” while waving flags of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), another terror group. Fast-forward to October 2025, marking the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, attack on Israel — which slaughtered 1,200 people, including Americans — demonstrators in the area again glorified the perpetrators, parading symbols of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad at the front of their processions. Such actions don’t just divide communities; they erode the patriotic ethos that defined Bay Ridge. The neighborhood’s heritage is being supplanted by ideologies hostile to America.

This pattern in Bay Ridge mirrors what is happening throughout our nation. From Minneapolis, where Trump has highlighted fraud in Somali visa programs and launched deportation operations, to border towns overwhelmed by unvetted migrants, we’ve seen how failure to prioritize assimilation invites division and danger. The D.C. shooting is a stark reminder: Lakanwal, radicalized or not, exploited our generosity, turning it against us. Trump’s response — pausing naturalizations for nationals from high-risk countries like Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan, and terminating temporary protected status for certain groups — is a direct counter to this. He’s right to insist that immigration should favor those who come to build, not burden or betray.

Contrast this with true success stories that exemplify the American Dream. Take New Yorker John Catsimatidis, a Greek immigrant who arrived in Harlem as an infant in 1948. Starting as a grocery clerk, he built a billion-dollar empire in supermarkets, real estate, and media through sheer grit and innovation. Catsimatidis didn’t demand handouts; he embraced American values, created jobs, and gave back philanthropically. His journey — from Nisyros island to New York mogul — shows what happens when immigrants assimilate and contribute. We need more like him, not those who wave flags of terror or celebrate attacks on our allies.

President Trump’s policies aren’t about exclusion; they’re about character. As DHS Secretary Kristi Noem put it, America was forged on “blood, sweat, and freedom,” not for “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.” By expanding the ban and rigorously vetting entrants, we’re ensuring newcomers want to be productive members of our society, not antagonists who attack from within. Bay Ridge’s evolution warns us: ignore assimilation at our peril. Trump’s moves will restore order, protect communities, and preserve the America we love. It’s time to put America first — again.

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Capano held senior-level positions with two New York Republican Members of Congress and has been an adjunct political science professor for over two decades. Follow on X: @bobcapano