NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City Council employee was arrested in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, enraging city officials and prompting a protest Tuesday outside the Manhattan detention center where he was being held.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez had long overstayed a tourist visa, had once been arrested for assault, and “had no legal right to be in the United States.”
City Council Speaker Julie Menin disputed that, stating that Rubio Bohorquez, a data analyst for the city legislative body, was legally authorized to work in the U.S. until October. Menin emphasized that the council employee signed a document as part of his employment claiming he had no prior arrests and passed the standard background check.
The New York Immigration Coalition and New York Legal Assistance Group filed a petition after Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest asking a court to order his release. Menin and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., issued a statement confirming their efforts to support this cause.
ICE confirmed Rubio Bohorquez’s name, but in the interest of privacy, Menin referred to him only as a council employee. “We are doing everything we can to secure his immediate release,” Menin stated at a Monday evening news conference, characterizing the arrest as “egregious government overreach.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his outrage, labeling the arrest “an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values.”
Menin added that officials were trying to contact his family and immigration lawyer. Rubio Bohorquez, originally from Venezuela, was detained during a routine immigration appointment in Bethpage, on Long Island, which Menin described as a standard check-in that “quickly went awry.”
ICE maintains that Rubio Bohorquez entered the U.S. in 2017 on a B2 tourist visa, which required him to leave by October 22, 2017. He has been with the City Council for approximately a year, earning roughly $129,315 annually, according to city payroll data.
ICE’s statement reiterated that he “had no work authorization.” The agency remarked that under Secretary Kristi Noem, "criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
Disputes regarding an immigrant’s work authorization have emerged, partly due to the challenges of government systems like E-Verify, which many employers use. While generally accurate in matching employee documents, E-Verify does not notify employers if an employee’s right to work is revoked post-verification. A 2021 Inspector General review noted these shortcomings, stating, “the government cannot ensure the system provides accurate employment eligibility results.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez had long overstayed a tourist visa, had once been arrested for assault, and “had no legal right to be in the United States.”
City Council Speaker Julie Menin disputed that, stating that Rubio Bohorquez, a data analyst for the city legislative body, was legally authorized to work in the U.S. until October. Menin emphasized that the council employee signed a document as part of his employment claiming he had no prior arrests and passed the standard background check.
The New York Immigration Coalition and New York Legal Assistance Group filed a petition after Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest asking a court to order his release. Menin and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., issued a statement confirming their efforts to support this cause.
ICE confirmed Rubio Bohorquez’s name, but in the interest of privacy, Menin referred to him only as a council employee. “We are doing everything we can to secure his immediate release,” Menin stated at a Monday evening news conference, characterizing the arrest as “egregious government overreach.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his outrage, labeling the arrest “an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values.”
Menin added that officials were trying to contact his family and immigration lawyer. Rubio Bohorquez, originally from Venezuela, was detained during a routine immigration appointment in Bethpage, on Long Island, which Menin described as a standard check-in that “quickly went awry.”
ICE maintains that Rubio Bohorquez entered the U.S. in 2017 on a B2 tourist visa, which required him to leave by October 22, 2017. He has been with the City Council for approximately a year, earning roughly $129,315 annually, according to city payroll data.
ICE’s statement reiterated that he “had no work authorization.” The agency remarked that under Secretary Kristi Noem, "criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
Disputes regarding an immigrant’s work authorization have emerged, partly due to the challenges of government systems like E-Verify, which many employers use. While generally accurate in matching employee documents, E-Verify does not notify employers if an employee’s right to work is revoked post-verification. A 2021 Inspector General review noted these shortcomings, stating, “the government cannot ensure the system provides accurate employment eligibility results.”
