In a shocking event captured on video, officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) placed an aide to Rep. Jerry Nadler in handcuffs on Wednesday within his district office in Manhattan, which is situated in the same federal building as an immigration courthouse.
The footage, provided to Gothamist and filmed by an individual observing immigration court proceedings, depicts DHS officers entering Nadler’s office and accusing the staff of “harboring rioters,” as reported by the outlet.
One staff member is visibly distressed and in tears while being handcuffed, as another officer tries to access a private section of the office, leading a staff member to request a warrant.
In the recording, an officer is shown trying to enter a private office while a staff member inside persistently asks to see a warrant. “I’m a federal officer. We’re here checking on something. We have the right to check,” the officer responds to her.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that the woman observed being detained had obstructed officers from performing a security check that was initiated due to reports of protesters within the congressman’s office. Later that same day, demonstrators assembled outside the federal building to express their opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Both the office of Rep. Nadler and a representative from the Department of Homeland Security verified that the staff member was neither arrested nor charged with any offense. In a short telephone interview, the staffer who was handcuffed remarked that “everything resolved” and chose not to disclose any additional information.
Nadler’s office refrained from commenting on the reasons behind the incident; however, two individuals present at the courthouse observing ICE operations reported that the confrontation commenced after ICE officers purportedly threatened to detain them and other advocates. Subsequently, a staff member from Nadler’s office extended an invitation to the group to enter the office, as they recounted.
Nadler’s office is situated on the sixth floor of the Varick Street federal building, which also accommodates the federal immigration court on the fifth floor, in addition to offices for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and various other federal agencies.
Robert Gottheim, who serves as Nadler’s co-chief of staff, verified that no arrests were made but chose not to provide further comments regarding the peculiar incident, which involved federal agents entering a congressional office, accusing staff members of engaging in criminal activities, and placing one aide in handcuffs.
This incident occurs amidst rising tensions between Democratic lawmakers and the executive branch concerning immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Rep. LaMonica McIver were apprehended during demonstrations outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark.
In recent days, there has been an increase in arrests at immigration courthouses nationwide. In January, the Trump administration declared that it would no longer regard locations such as courthouses and schools as “protected” sites exempt from immigration enforcement, as it advances what it describes as the largest deportation initiative in U.S. history.
At another immigration court situated at 290 Broadway in New York City, ICE officers detained a 20-year-old high school student from the Bronx last week, shortly after an immigration judge dismissed the student’s deportation case. According to the city’s education department, this Venezuelan student is the first public school student in New York City to be detained by ICE during Trump’s second term.
Later that evening, around 6:30 p.m., police apprehended nearly two dozen protesters who were accused of obstructing traffic outside the Varick Street building, as reported by an NYPD spokesperson.
In a video capturing the confrontation at Rep. Nadler’s office, a handcuffed staff member indicates that constituents were present for a scheduled meeting. Those individuals later identified themselves in interviews with Gothamist as advocates for immigrant rights who had been observing activities in the building, including areas outside the federal immigration courtrooms.
The video does not depict any interactions between Nadler’s staff and DHS officers prior to the moment the staff member was handcuffed.
