The NYPD has increased security around mosques and other places of worship after a mosque shooting in Quebec City, Canada, killed sixpeople and wounded eight. Across the five boroughs, NYPD officers are watching mosques and a counterterrorism unit has been dispatched to Quebec to learn more about the attack that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a “terrorist attack on Muslims,” according to reports. As of 2015, there were an estimated 285 mosques in New York City.
Mayor Bill de Blasioand Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to protect New York’s Muslim population and expressed condolences for those affected by the shooting in Quebec City.
To my fellow New Yorkers who are Muslim: New York City will protect you. The NYPD will protect you. We will fight all hatred and bias.
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 30, 2017
My heart breaks for the people of Quebec. As we learn more, NY stands shoulder to shoulder w QC Islamic Cultural Center & all Canadians.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 30, 2017
Meanwhile, at least six people had still been detained at JFK Airport as of late Sunday night, CBS New York reported. Immigration lawyers were working to help free travelers caught in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s immigration ban signed Friday, which halts the admission of refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East. Though a federal judge in New Yorkblocked deportation of detainees through a stay on Trump’s executive order, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Sunday saying it would enforce the president’s orders.
