Honduran National with History of Deportations and Criminal Charges Pushes Victims onto NYC Subway Tracks: DHS Calls for ICE Detainer Compliance
An illegal immigrant from Honduras, with a history of multiple deportations and criminal charges, allegedly pushed two victims onto the tracks at a New York City subway station. The victims included an 83-year-old Air Force veteran who is in critical condition. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer against the Honduran national, Bairon Posada-Hernandez, after the incident.
Posada-Hernandez had entered the country in 2008 and had been deported four times before reentering the country again. At the time of the subway incident, he had a criminal record with 15 prior charges, including aggravated assault, domestic violence, possession of a weapon, and drug possession. DHS officials called for New York sanctuary politicians to honor the ICE detainer and not release Posada-Hernandez back into the community.
Following the arrest of Posada-Hernandez, questions arose about whether the New York City authorities would honor the ICE detainer. The NYC Department of Correction, Manhattan District Attorney's office, and the NYPD did not provide direct answers to inquiries about Posada-Hernandez's charges and court dates. The custody database indicated that Posada-Hernandez was given bail for first-degree assault after his arrest.
Cellphone footage from the incident showed Posada-Hernandez calmly walking away after pushing the victims onto the tracks. The younger victim sustained minor injuries, while the older victim, Richard Williams, remains in critical condition. The circumstances of Posada-Hernandez's return to the United States after his last deportation in July 2020 remain unclear.
Under President Joe Biden, a significant number of Hondurans entered the United States, with 5% of the country's population migrating. DHS criticized New York City's policies that shield violent criminal illegal aliens, citing Mayor Zohran Mamdani's executive order and Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal to limit cooperation with ICE. As of February, there were over 7,110 illegal aliens in New York custody with active ICE detainers, including individuals accused of serious crimes like homicide, assault, drug offenses, and weapons offenses.