Zohran Mamdani 'outraged' after Venezuelan-origin staff detained by ICE; gets called out for defending 'illegal alien'

An employee of the New York City council was detained by the ICE as he went for a routine immigration appointment Monday. The NYC officials said the Venezuelan-origin man has valid work permit until October 2026 but the Department of Homeland Security said he was an illegal who came to the US in 2017 on a tourist visa and then overstayed and never had any work authorization.

"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," NYC mayor Mamdani posted.





Mamdani was called out for defending an illegal alien as right-wing commentator Nick Sortor commented: "Nope. He's going back to wherever the hell he came from."

Former nuclear scientist Matt Van Swol who worked for the federal government said he was detained by Border Patrol in Arizona in 2018. "I was a government employee working as scientist for the US Dept of Energy at the time. ...and guess what? Not a damn thing happened to me, because I was following the law. Shut the hell up," he wrote.

Who is Rubio Bohorquez? What is the truth about the Venezuelan national?

Rubio Bohorquez is a Venezuelan national who works as a data analyst for the NYC Council. The DHS said the 53-year-old has been illegally staying in the US since 2017. They said he entered the US on a B-2 tourist visa in 2017 and was supposed to leave the country by October 22 of 2017. But he remained in the country and has been working at the NYC Council.

"On Jan 12, ICE New York City arrested Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and an employee of New York’s City Council. His criminal history includes an arrest for assault. He had no work authorization. Rubio entered the United States on a B2 tourist visa in 2017 that required him to depart the US by October 22, 2017. He had no legal right to be in the United States.

Under Secretary Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our law, we will find you and we will arrest you," DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the staffer had a valid work visa through October and described his arrest as "egregious government overreach." Menin said Rubio Bohorquez has worked in city government for about a year and signed an attestation in January stating he had never been arrested but DHS said he was arrested.