An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who was temporarily relieved of duty after being captured on video pushing a woman to the ground outside an immigration court in New York City has been reinstated, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.
The officer was returned to duty following a preliminary review of the incident, despite a prior statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemning his conduct as “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”
In a statement released last Friday, DHS said the officer had been relieved of duty pending a full investigation, stressing that ICE officers are “held to the highest professional standards.” The current status of that investigation remains unclear.
The Incident
The incident drew national attention after multiple videos circulated on social media showing a confrontation outside the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan, which houses the city’s immigration court.
The situation reportedly escalated when an Ecuadoran woman and her daughter attempted to cling to her husband, Ruben Abelardo Ortiz-Lopez, as ICE officers attempted to detain him. One video shows officers trying to separate the family, with one officer grabbing the woman’s hair.
Another video shows the visibly distraught woman confronting the ICE officer who was later relieved of duty. She is heard saying in Spanish, “Take me, too,” and appears to touch the officer, who warns her not to. The video then shows the officer pushing her to the ground in front of her children, court officials, and journalists. He is heard repeating the word “adios” several times during the exchange.
ICE later identified Ortiz-Lopez as having entered the U.S. illegally via the southern border in March 2024. He was arrested in June by local authorities for “assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.” ICE also confirmed that the woman is in the country unlawfully and is in deportation proceedings.
Political Response
In response to the videos, New York officials, including Rep. Dan Goldman and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, both Democrats, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the ICE officer and consider potential prosecution. Goldman accused the officer of “violently” assaulting the woman and said he should be prosecuted.
“Not only should this individual no longer work for the United States government, but the Department of Justice should aggressively enforce the criminal laws against him,” Goldman said in a statement.
A DHS official, responding to CBS News’ request for comment, did not confirm the officer’s reinstatement but described Ortiz-Lopez as a “criminal illegal alien.”
“President Trump and Secretary Noem are not going to allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens,” the official said. “If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will arrest you and you will never return.”
ICE and the White House have not yet issued official comments on the officer’s reinstatement.
Read full article here: CBS News
