A federal immigration officer who was captured on video pushing a woman to the ground outside an immigration court in New York City has been relieved of his duties while an investigation is conducted, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
In a statement Friday, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the conduct of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”
“Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation,” McLaughlin added.
Videos of the ICE officer’s actions at the 26 Federal Plaza federal building in lower Manhattan emerged on social media Thursday, generating widespread controversy.
The incident appears to have started when the woman and her young daughter desperately tried to cling to her husband, whom federal agents were attempting to take into custody. Agents were seen on video separating the family, with one of them grabbing the woman’s hair. The man was ultimately detained.
Another video showed the woman confronting the ICE officer at the center of the investigation. He was then captured on camera shoving the woman and pushing her to the floor in front of her children and a crowd of photojournalists and federal and court officials.
During the altercation, the ICE officer is heard saying “adios” — or goodbye — several times.
The woman in the videos told reporters Thursday her family is from Ecuador.
Under the second Trump administration, ICE officers have been deployed to immigration courts across the country to arrest some of those attending their hearings. The effort has been strongly denounced by advocates and Democratic leaders, who say it undermines due process principles and deters people from complying with the immigration process.
Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller and one of the most vocal local critics of the courthouse arrests, said Thursday that the woman “did not pose any threat” to justify the officer’s actions and noted she had to be taken to the hospital.
“We can disagree on immigration policy, but you can’t watch that video and think that that’s how you want United States law enforcement officials treating human beings,” Lander told CBS News New York.
Asked if the videos indicate any justification for the officer’s use of force, a former ICE official who requested anonymity to speak freely said, “Absolutely none.” The official noted the incident should be reported to ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, which is charged with “impartially investigating allegations of employee and contractor misconduct.”
“He clearly lost his cool. Unless you claim self-defense or defense of others, [there’s] no way that use of force is justified,” the former ICE official said. “That’s assault.”
