AI Image
Fearing deportation, immigrant family killed in Brooklyn building collapse felt safest at home
Gothamist • • general
Key Points:
- Juan Daniel Sabala, a Colombian father of two, and his 9-year-old daughter Nicole were among those killed when their Brooklyn apartment building collapsed on Wednesday, along with another young cousin, Kevin Santiago Reyes Gonzalez.
- The family had been living in the U.S. for three to four years, with Sabala working for a cleaning company, but had been increasingly fearful of federal immigration agents, leading them to stay mostly inside their apartment.
- Sabala's cousin, Juan Carlos Zabala, shared that the family was anxious about immigration enforcement and had been cautious about going out, making their home feel like their safest place.
- The collapse also killed five other New Yorkers and injured 18, with Sabala’s wife and their 3-year-old daughter still hospitalized in intensive care.
- Juan Carlos Zabala expressed deep sadness and nostalgia, reflecting on their pursuit of the American dream and the uncertainty facing the family after this tragedy.
