Youth Baseball Coach Defends Kids From ICE Agents: 'I'm Willing to Die'
Briefly

Youman Wilder, founder of Harlem Baseball Hitting Academy, intervened when ICE agents questioned children on his team. He insisted the agents were acting inappropriately and instructed the kids to exercise their Fifth Amendment rights. Despite one agent's dismissal, Wilder positioned himself as a barrier to protect the frightened youth. He emphasized the positive achievements of his players, highlighting their academic and athletic success. Wilder firmly stated his willingness to die for the children's safety, calling for a culture of care and protection for youth in similar situations.
I heard them saying, 'Where are you from? Where are your parents from?' Wilder told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace. 'And I just stepped in and said this is very inappropriate to ask these kids anything ... I'm just going to have them implement their Fifth Amendment right, and not say anything to you.'
I got some tough New York City kids, so for them to be scared, it means something is really happening,' said Wilder in an interview with CNN. 'Listen, I'm not going to let them get through me.'
I just said to myself, 'I'm willing to die to make sure you get home.' He even doubled down on his statement, saying, 'I'm willing to die today.'
We graduated 400 kids out of college who walk around with degrees from Stanford and Princeton and Harvard. All African American and Latino kids,' he told Wallace. 'So, we're not going around saying, 'Poor little us,' because we do very, very good work.
Read at TODAY.com
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