Mamdani 'outraged' after New York City council employee detained by ICE
Source: ABC News
January 12, 2026, 10:53 PM
A New York City Council employee was detained during a "routine" immigration appointment on Long Island on Monday, according to city officials, who called the incident an "egregious government overreach." Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is "outraged" by the worker's arrest. "This is an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values," he said in a statement on X. "I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation."
The Department of Homeland Security defended the arrest late Monday, saying the employee is in the U.S. illegally and has an alleged criminal history that includes an arrest for assault. The agency did not provide additional details on the assault arrest. DHS said the staffer entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa in 2017 that required him to leave the country later that year.
"He had no legal right to be in the United States," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "Under Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our law, we will find you and we will arrest you."
The employee was detained by federal immigration officials during an appointment in Bethpage in Nassau County earlier Monday, according to NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin. The speaker said the employee has legal authorization to remain in the country until October. The city council learned of his detainment Monday afternoon, when the employee used his one phone call to contact the council's human resources department for help and said he had been detained, according to Menin.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/mamdani-outraged-after-new-york-city-council-employee/story?id=129149275
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