ICE Officer Reinstated After Pushing Woman at NYC Immigration Court: Controversy and Condemnation
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who was caught on video pushing a woman to the ground outside an immigration court in New York City has been reinstated to duty, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the situation. The officer was returned to duty after a preliminary review of the incident. The move comes after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially condemned the officer's behavior as unacceptable and relieved him of his duties pending a full investigation. The incident, which took place at the 26 Federal Plaza building, where Manhattan's immigration court is located, gained national attention after videos of the confrontation surfaced on social media. The woman involved in the incident, along with her husband, was being confronted by federal immigration officers when the altercation occurred. The ICE officer was seen pushing the woman to the ground in front of her children and a crowd of onlookers. ICE identified the woman's husband as Ruben Abelardo Ortiz-Lopez, who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in March 2024 and was arrested in June for assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. The woman is also in the U.S. unlawfully and faces deportation proceedings. New York Rep. Dan Goldman and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander called for an investigation into the ICE officer's actions and urged the Department of Justice to consider potential prosecution.