ICE Officer Benched After Viral Video Shows Shove at Court

A federal immigration officer has been sidelined after video footage surfaced showing him forcefully pushing a woman to the ground outside a New York City immigration court. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday that the officer, who works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was relieved of duty pending a full investigation, reports CBS News. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called the officer's conduct "unacceptable" and "beneath the men and women of ICE," emphasizing that agents are expected to uphold the agency's highest professional standards.

The incident unfolded outside the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan, drawing sharp public scrutiny after videos spread widely on social media. The footage shows a chaotic scene, in which a woman and her young daughter were seen clinging to the woman's husband as ICE agents attempted to detain him.

• One video captures an agent grabbing the woman by the hair during the family's separation. The man was eventually taken into custody.
• A second video shows the woman confronting the officer in question, who then pushes her to the ground in front of her children, journalists, and federal and court officials. The officer is reportedly heard saying "adios" ("goodbye" in Spanish) several times during the encounter.

ProPublica has IDed the woman as Monica Moreta-Galarza, from Ecuador. "Over [in Ecuador], they beat us there, too," she told the outlet in Spanish. "I didn't think I'd come here to the United States and the same thing would happen to me."

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The episode has reignited criticism of ICE's presence at immigration courts, a tactic expanded under the Trump administration. Local officials and advocates say such practices erode due process and discourage compliance with immigration proceedings. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a vocal critic, stated the woman "did not pose any threat" and required hospital treatment after the altercation. Lander added, "You can't watch that video and think that that's how you want United States law enforcement officials treating human beings."