The Department of Homeland Security has taken disciplinary action against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer following an incident captured on video at a New York immigration court. The officer has been suspended from duty pending a full investigation into the matter. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the officer’s behavior was “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE,” emphasizing that ICE law enforcement officers are held to the highest professional standards.
The widely circulated video shows the officer arguing with and repeatedly pushing a woman before she falls to the ground. Reports indicate the incident occurred after federal agents attempted to take the woman’s husband into custody, with the woman and her daughter trying to intervene. The woman, who identified herself as being from Ecuador, was later escorted from the courthouse.
This event occurs amidst a broader immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has seen ICE agents increasingly present in federal courthouses to detain immigrants awaiting hearings. Hundreds of immigrants have reportedly been arrested in New York City courthouses alone as part of this initiative. A local congressman has called for appropriate disciplinary action and measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.