An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who was temporarily removed from duty following a widely shared video showing him pushing a woman to the ground outside a New York immigration court has been returned to work, two US officials cited by CBS News claimed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the reinstatement has not been publicly announced.The incident gained national attention last week after videos captured the officer confronting a visibly upset Ecuadoran woman at the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan, which houses the immigration court. Footage shows the woman and her young daughter trying to cling to her husband as federal officers attempted to take him into custody. At one point, the officer, identified only as part of the ICE enforcement team, is seen pushing the woman to the floor while telling her “adios” several times.As per CBS News, Ruben Abelardo Ortiz-Lopez, the woman’s husband, was in the US unlawfully and entered the country in March 2024. ICE also said he had previous arrests, including for assault and obstruction of breathing. The woman involved is also facing deportation proceedings.The officer’s reinstatement comes just days after the department of homeland security condemned the conduct, calling it “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE” and stating that he was being relieved of duties pending a full investigation, as per The Guardian. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, had emphasised that ICE officers are “held to the highest professional standards”, as per NPR.The case has also drawn political scrutiny. New York Rep Dan Goldman and City Comptroller Brad Lander urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to consider felony charges against the officer, citing “excessive physical force” and violations of the woman’s rights under the Constitution. Goldman called the incident an example of federal officers using “excessive violence… with impunity”.This is not the officer’s first controversial encounter. According to NPR, in September, he was allegedly observed forcibly removing a teenage girl from her father’s arms at the same court, raising concerns among court observers over repeated aggressive behaviour.
