U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE agents recently stated that a Turkish national accused of attacking immigration officers and attempting to grab a weapon during a confrontation in Western New York has been taken into custody.
In a statement released on Tuesday, ICE agents revealed that the suspect has been identified as Saim Irgi, a 39-year-old Turkish citizen who is allegedly in the U.S. illegally. Arresting officers further mentioned that the accused violently resisted arrest and shouted the Arabic phrase “Allahu akbar,” which means “God is great,” as officers struggled to restrain him.
The incident occurred in Tonawanda, just outside Buffalo, when ICE officers were conducting a targeted operation. They spotted a vehicle leaving a home connected to their investigation and decided to follow it. The driver, later confirmed to be Irgi, was pulled over by the officers. His immigration status was eventually discovered, which led to the altercation.
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ICE agents also mentioned that they gave Irgi multiple warnings while asking him to leave his vehicle. He was warned that officers would be compelled to use their tasers if Irgi did not comply. However, Irgi did not listen to them, and when the officers finally tried to take Irgi into custody, he got hold of another officer’s taser and shouted “Allahu Akbar.”
Another officer had to use his own taser to bring the situation under control. After Irgi was finally arrested, he was taken to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, where, after the initial medical clearance, Irgi was declared to be okay for detention.
After his arrest, it has come to light that Irgi has a history of previous unlawful activities as well. He had entered the US illegally and had first crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near Jamul, California, in July 2023. The US Border Patrol agents did get hold of him back then, but he was released pending immigration work.
Since his release, he has been associated with multiple illegal activities and has also been arrested in multiple states. As reported by the New York Post, “In March, police in Pennsauken, New Jersey, arrested Irgi on charges of simple assault that were later dismissed. The same day, Philadelphia police arrested him on charges including strangulation, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.”
🚨 FOOTAGE: ICE BRUTALLY ARRESTS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
ICE is a violent criminal organization that is at war with our most fundamental rights.
It must be immediately dismantled.
— Micah (@micah_erfan) November 16, 2025
Tammy Marich, the acting Field Office Director of ICE Buffalo, talked about Irgi and described him as “a significant public safety threat.” She further added that officers “will continue to work tirelessly to arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens from the United States.”
After his arrest on Monday, Irgi is now in ICE custody and relevant proceedings regarding him are in place. While Irgi’s criminal past and illegal residency in the US do make him a reasonable ICE target, there are a huge number of cases where ICE agents have raided people’s homes and workplaces without any valid reason.
Legal US citizens have also been taken into custody and have had to spend horrific days at detention centers. Moreover, the condition of these detention centers has already drawn much attention for being inhumane and unliveable. With growing brutality by ICE agents all over the US, the common American people, especially those belonging to different races, are living in fear.
