STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 A City Council staffer\u2019s Monday arrest at an immigration appointment sparked backlash from some of the city\u2019s top elected officials.<\/p>\n
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin confirmed agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez on Monday.<\/p>\n
The federal government says the Venezuelan national was in the country illegally after a tourist visa expired in 2017, but Council Speaker Julie Menin, a Democrat representing Manhattan\u2019s Upper East Side, said Bohorquez is authorized to be here until October.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis afternoon, a City Council employee was detained by federal immigration officials at a routine immigration appointment,\u201d Menin said Monday evening. \u201cWe 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. 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. As New Yorkers, we will stand up for the rights and dignity of every neighbor.\u201d<\/p>\n
In later comments to the New York Times, Menin\u2019s staff told the paper Bohorquez was in the country on Temporary Protected Status, a humanitarian program that President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has ended since taking office.<\/p>\n
McLaughlin also said Bohorquez had been arrested for assault since being in the country, but did not provide further details. <\/p>\n
Bohorquez\u2019 immigration arrest, which occurred at a Long Island courthouse, has led to condemnations from some of the city\u2019s top officials.<\/p>\n