NYC Council ‘doing everything’ to release employee detained by ICE

An employee of the New York City Council was detained by federal immigration officials Monday during a routine appointment out on Long Island, according to city officials.

Council Speaker Julie Menin said the employee was picked up by ICE on Monday afternoon during an appointment in Bethpage, New York, and taken to the federal detention facility on Varick Street in Manhattan. The man is of Venezuelan decent and reportedly had legal authorization to be in the country through October of 2026.

“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,” the speaker said in a statement.

“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 held an “emergency” press conference from City Hall, joined by Congressman Dan Goldman and a number of council colleagues.

Officials within the Department of Homeland Security, the speaker said, confirmed the staffer was taken during the court appointment but “provided no other basis for his detainment.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was “outraged” by the federal action.

“This is an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values. I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation,” the mayor posted on X.

Menin said the council staffer was offered one phone call and chose to ring the council’s HR department for help.

“Despite every indication that he was doing everything the right way, he still found himself a victim of egregious government overreach,” Menin said at the press briefing. “These escalations raise serious concerns about overreach, about the use of excessive force and about the lack of accountability.”

The speaker did not disclose further details about the role of the staffer.