New York City Council data analyst Rafael Rubio, a Venezuelan immigrant, was detained by ICE in Nassau County, sparking protests and calls for his release
Rally for Release of NYC Council Employee Detained by ICE
NEW YORK — A passionate crowd gathered Tuesday afternoon to demand the immediate release of a New York City Council employee from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
The detained employee, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, is a 53-year-old data analyst at City Hall. He is an immigrant from Venezuela.
City Council officials state that he was legally allowed to remain in the country until October while he worked through the courts to become a citizen.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Trump administration no longer recognizes his status. They claim he has been in the U.S. illegally since 2017.
Authorities assert that he has a previous arrest for assault, but councilmembers argue he signed a statement saying he had never been arrested.
Rubio Bohorquez was detained by ICE during a routine appointment in Bethpage, Nassau County, New York, earlier on Monday, according to New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin.
“DHS confirmed that this employee had gone in for a routine court appointment and was nevertheless detained. They provided no other basis for his detainment,” Menin said during a press briefing on Monday. “On the contrary, he was a City Council employee who is doing everything right. He went to the court when he was asked.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his outrage over the employee’s detainment, calling for his immediate release and stating he will continue to monitor the situation.
Democratic New York Congressman Dan Goldman noted that the employee is of Venezuelan descent and is a “law-abiding immigrant with work authorization.”
“I want to be very clear: There is no indication that there’s anything about this individual other than his immigration status that caused him to be arrested,” he said during a press briefing on Monday.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying the employee had no work authorization. They described him as “a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and an employee of New York’s City Council,” adding that his criminal history includes an arrest for assault.
Rubio Bohorquez has been transferred to a detention center in Manhattan.
A habeas hearing is scheduled for Friday before Judge John Cronan in federal court. The government cannot move him from the state until that hearing occurs.
Summary of Key Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Employee Name | Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez |
| Age | 53 |
| Position | Data Analyst at City Hall |
| Detainment Date | Monday |
| Location of Detainment | Bethpage, Nassau County, NY |
| Scheduled Hearing | Friday before Judge John Cronan |
