A New York City Council employee was detained Monday by federal immigration authorities during a routine immigration appointment in Bethpage, Nassau County, City Council Speaker Julie Menin said.
According to Menin, the employee had legal authorization to remain in the U.S. through October. U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman said the employee is a central staff member “of Venezuelan descent,” and Menin said he has worked as a data analyst for about a year, but did not disclose further details to protect his identity.
“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.
The officials said the man has since been transferred to the detention center on Varick Street in Manhattan.
A spokesperson for the DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Menin said it was the first time a Council staffer had ever been detained by immigration officials. The speaker called the detention an “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,” Menin said. “As New Yorkers, we will stand up for the rights and dignity of every neighbor.”
The incident also drew a sharp rebuke from Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In a post on X, Mamdani said he was “outraged” by the Council employee’s detention and called for his immediate release.
“This is an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values,” Mamdani said. “I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation.”
The detention comes days after a Minneapolis woman, Renee Good, was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in an incident that has sparked lawsuits, protests and renewed scrutiny of ICE enforcement nationwide.
Lawmakers in both New York and New Jersey have begun weighing legislation that would limit how local agencies interact with federal immigration authorities.
In Albany, supporters of the long-stalled New York for All Act said a renewed push is underway to ban local police from cooperating with ICE in most cases. New Jersey legislators have also been advancing a similar package of bills.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
