NYC Council Staffer Taken Into ICE Custody in Manhattan
A New York City Council employee was detained by federal immigration authorities during a routine immigration court appointment in Nassau County on Monday, prompting condemnation from city and federal officials who are demanding his immediate release.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin confirmed the detention in a statement Monday evening, identifying the employee only as a central staff data analyst who has been with the Council for about a year. The man, according to Menin, had legal authorization to live and work in the United States through October 2026 and had done “everything right.”
Menin said the employee, who is of Venezuelan descent, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Nassau County court appointment and later transferred to a detention facility on Varick Street in Manhattan.
“We are doing everything we can to secure his immediate release, and we demand swift and transparent action by the federal government on this apparent overreach,” Menin said.
She declined to disclose the name of the employee in order to protect his identity. The man contacted the Council’s human resources department after being detained, officials said. Representative Dan Goldman noted the employee's Venezuelan background and criticized the detention as part of an escalating crackdown on immigrants.
“Secret masked police are killing Americans, are yanking anyone they can find out of cars, out of homes, out of courtrooms,” Goldman said. “And now [they’re] targeting those who are trying to serve the public as employees of the New York City Council.”
Menin emphasized that the Department of Homeland Security gave no justification for the detention aside from the fact that the employee had appeared for his scheduled court appointment. She added that the employee had previously signed an attestation stating he had never been arrested.
“As speaker of the City Council, I cannot even call this ICE detention center to collect information or demand his release,” Menin said. “That is not how government is supposed to work.”
The Department of Homeland Security indicated to city officials that the man could be moved again, though no further information was provided. A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The situation has drawn swift criticism from lawmakers, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who posted on X that he was “outraged” and labeled the detention “an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values.”
“I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation,” Mamdani said.
Menin said this was the first time a New York City Council staffer had ever been detained by immigration authorities. She characterized the incident as part of a broader trend of aggressive action by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Across the nation, we have seen aggressive escalations by ICE that raise serious concerns on the use of excessive force and a lack of accountability,” Menin said. “As New Yorkers, we will stand up for the rights and dignity of every neighbor.”
The Council employee’s detention comes just days after another high-profile incident involving immigration enforcement. Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman, was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, an event that has sparked protests, lawsuits, and renewed scrutiny of ICE’s enforcement practices across the country.
In response to such incidents, lawmakers in both New York and New Jersey have been weighing new legislation aimed at limiting cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. In Albany, supporters of the long-stalled New York for All Act have renewed their push to ban local police from collaborating with ICE in most cases. Similar legislation is currently advancing in the New Jersey state legislature.
The ongoing detention of the Council staffer remains unresolved, as city officials continue efforts to secure his release and raise questions over what they describe as an alarming breakdown in intergovernmental accountability.