ICE officer caught on video pushing woman is placed on leave
An Immigration and Customs officer working at the New York immigration courts has been placed on administrative leave after video circulated online showed him pushing a woman toward a wall and to the ground, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The man appears to be the same officer involved in an arrest of a court observer last month, which was witnessed by NPR and caught on audio.
“The officer’s conduct in this video is unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation.”
Video: Watch a federal agent pushing the wife of a detained man to the ground at the Jacob K. Javits building at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City:
There have been growing tensions between federal law enforcement and the public in immigration courts as federal agents are tasked with making more arrests. Over the last five months, ICE has increased its footprint inside immigration courthouses, which are operated by the Justice Department. The agents’ presence and arrests in courthouses, particularly in New York, have resulted in conflicting mandates and instances of explosive anger, as NPR previously reported.
In August, as NPR and a court observer — an immigrant advocate — entered the hall, federal enforcement brushed past. The agent, who was unmasked and had been sitting in the waiting area earlier, yelled at NPR: “stop f****** following me! Why are you f****** following me?” before turning and yelling the same thing at the court observer.
“It’s not f****** about you!” she retorted.
As they turned the corner, more shouting could be heard.
“Don’t f****** touch me,” the court observer yelled. “Why are you pushing me? Why are you shoving me? I am not following you!”
She was then taken into an enclosed elevator bay.
At the time, DHS told NPR that the court observer had interrupted the agents. She was transferred to Federal Protective Service custody and issued two citations: trespassing in a secure area and failing to follow lawful commands from an officer.
The latest incident, caught on several cell phones and cameras, shows a woman crying apparently after the arrest of her husband.
The agent was captured yelling “adios” (or goodbye) several times before shoving the woman toward the wall and onto the floor before the crowd.
Pentagon says it’s cutting ties with ‘woke’ Harvard, ending military training
Amid an ongoing standoff between Harvard and the White House, the Defense Department said it plans to cut ties with the Ivy League — ending military training, fellowships and certificate programs.
‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts
Washington Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.
In this Icelandic drama, a couple quietly drifts apart
Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason weaves scenes of quiet domestic life against the backdrop of an arresting landscape in his newest film.
After the Fall: How Olympic figure skaters soar after stumbling on the ice
Olympic figure skating is often seems to take athletes to the very edge of perfection, but even the greatest stumble and fall. How do they pull themselves together again on the biggest world stage? Toughness, poise and practice.
They’re cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?
Leprosy is one of the least contagious diseases around — and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. The colonies are relics of a not-too-distant past when those diagnosed with leprosy were exiled.
This season, ‘The Pitt’ is about what doesn’t happen in one day
The first season of The Pitt was about acute problems. The second is about chronic ones.
