In a dramatic incident caught on video, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers handcuffed an aide to Rep. Jerry Nadler on Wednesday inside his Manhattan district office, located in the same federal building as an immigration courthouse.
The video, shared with Gothamist and recorded by someone monitoring immigration court activity, shows DHS officers entering Nadler’s office and accusing staffers of “harboring rioters,” the outlet reported.
One staffer is seen in tears as she is handcuffed, while another officer attempts to enter a private area of the office, prompting a staff member to demand a warrant.
In the video, one officer is seen attempting to enter a private office as a staffer inside repeatedly asks to see a warrant. “I’m a federal officer. We’re here checking on something. We have the right to check,” the officer tells her.
In a statement, DHS said the woman seen being detained had blocked officers from conducting a security check prompted by reports of protesters inside the congressman’s office. Later that day, demonstrators gathered outside the federal building to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Both Rep. Nadler’s office and a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the staff member was neither arrested nor charged with any crime. In a brief phone interview, the staffer who was handcuffed said “everything resolved” and declined to provide further details.