New York officials, along with Zohran Mamdani, raised concerns on January 12 after a New York City Council employee was detained by federal immigration authorities during a routine appointment on Long Island. Mayor Mamdani described the detention as “an assault on our democracy, our city, and our values.”
On November 5, 2025, Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City’s youngest and first Muslim mayor. On January 12, the mayor called for immediate release and aid, stating his team would monitor the situation.
This incident unfolded during a scheduled appointment in Bethpage, Nassau County, where, according to City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the employee was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He allegedly had a permit to be in the country until October and was legitimately employed. “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 in a statement.
I am outraged to hear a New York City Council employee was detained in Nassau County by federal immigration officials at a routine immigration appointment. This is an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values. I am calling for his immediate release and will continue…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 12, 2026
The council first learned about the detention when the employee, exercising his right to a phone call, reached out to the council’s human resources department for help.
After contacting the council’s human resources department during his single phone call, the employee was transferred to a federal detention center—an ICE facility on Varick Street in Manhattan. City officials say they have been unable to contact his family. The man, who had worked as a central staff data analyst for a year, remains in detention.
Subsequently, ABC News reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed the employee was in the U.S. illegally and had an alleged criminal history, including an arrest for assault. The department has not shared specific details.
The man, whose identity was deliberately kept anonymous for safety and privacy reasons, allegedly came to the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa in 2017, which was valid only until the end of that year, but he overstayed before being employed by the council.
“He had no legal right to be in the United States,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Under Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our law, we will find you and we will arrest you.”
Democratic New York Congressman Dan Goldman said the employee is a law-abiding, Venezuelan immigrant with work authorization. He added that there is no evidence of wrongdoing other than their immigration status. He further claimed his office has reached out to ICE, responsible for enforcing immigration laws and protecting public safety.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul also expressed disagreement with the detention. Hochul noted that detaining people during routine court appearances can unnecessarily create panic, fear, and trauma.
This is exactly what happens when immigration enforcement is weaponized.
Detaining people during routine court appearances doesn’t make us safer. It erodes trust, spreads fear, and violates basic principles of fairness.
We will continue to stand up for the rights of New… https://t.co/uj1yYVk92R
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 13, 2026
“Detaining people during routine court appearances doesn’t make us safer,” she said in a statement on X. “It erodes trust, spreads fear, and violates basic principles of fairness.”
In November last year, masked ICE agents arrested a German man and a British mother with her six-month-old son at the Citizenship and Immigration Services office in San Diego during green card interviews. People present in the visa center condemned the arrests and questioned the safety and moral implications of such actions.
Disclaimer: The article mentions details taken from secondary sources mentioned above. Inquistr does not take responsibility for any of them.
