The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on leave amid an investigation into an incident where he was filmed shoving a woman to the ground at a New York immigration court. The incident has raised concerns regarding ice procedural conduct.
In a statement made by DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, she described the officer's actions as 'unacceptable' and emphasized that ICE personnel are expected to uphold the highest professional standards. The officer is currently relieved of all duties while the investigation is ongoing.
Video footage that circulated widely on social media on Thursday depicts a distressed woman wearing an orange shirt approaching the officer. After he repeatedly says 'adios' to her, the officer aggressively grabs and pushes her backwards, ultimately knocking her to the ground. This alarming behavior caught public attention and spurred discussions about ICE's presence in courthouses.
A separate angle of the incident showed that the woman was confronting the officer while expressing her willingness to comply in Spanish, shouting 'take me, take me!' before she was shoved down the hallway and into a wall. The officer's actions, where he commanded her to 'leave!' in Spanish afterward, prompted further outcry from onlookers, contributing to a public discourse regarding immigration enforcement practices.
This altercation followed failed attempts by federal agents to detain the woman's husband, leading to an emotionally charged scene where both she and her child clung to him. Referring to herself as an Ecuadorian national, she claimed she and her children sought safety in a congressional office after the distressing incident.
The aggressive tactics of ICE under the administration of former President Donald Trump have led to numerous arrests within New York courthouses, furthering concerns and debates around the integrity and safety of immigration procedures. Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman, whose district encompasses the courthouse where the incident occurred, has demanded appropriate disciplinary action and safeguards to prevent future occurrences of such violence.
In a statement made by DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, she described the officer's actions as 'unacceptable' and emphasized that ICE personnel are expected to uphold the highest professional standards. The officer is currently relieved of all duties while the investigation is ongoing.
Video footage that circulated widely on social media on Thursday depicts a distressed woman wearing an orange shirt approaching the officer. After he repeatedly says 'adios' to her, the officer aggressively grabs and pushes her backwards, ultimately knocking her to the ground. This alarming behavior caught public attention and spurred discussions about ICE's presence in courthouses.
A separate angle of the incident showed that the woman was confronting the officer while expressing her willingness to comply in Spanish, shouting 'take me, take me!' before she was shoved down the hallway and into a wall. The officer's actions, where he commanded her to 'leave!' in Spanish afterward, prompted further outcry from onlookers, contributing to a public discourse regarding immigration enforcement practices.
This altercation followed failed attempts by federal agents to detain the woman's husband, leading to an emotionally charged scene where both she and her child clung to him. Referring to herself as an Ecuadorian national, she claimed she and her children sought safety in a congressional office after the distressing incident.
The aggressive tactics of ICE under the administration of former President Donald Trump have led to numerous arrests within New York courthouses, furthering concerns and debates around the integrity and safety of immigration procedures. Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman, whose district encompasses the courthouse where the incident occurred, has demanded appropriate disciplinary action and safeguards to prevent future occurrences of such violence.
