An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who was placed on administrative leave after a viral video showed him pushing a woman to the ground outside an immigration court in New York City has been reinstated to duty, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the decision. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter has not been publicly announced, confirmed that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s return follows a preliminary review of the incident.
The development marks a sharp reversal from just days earlier, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement calling the officer’s conduct “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.” At the time, DHS said the officer had been relieved of duty pending a full investigation. The current status of that investigation remains unclear.
ICE Officer Altercation Sparks National Attention
The ICE officer’s actions drew widespread scrutiny after multiple videos circulated on social media last week. The footage, recorded outside the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan, showed a visibly distraught Ecuadoran woman attempting to stay with her husband as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sought to detain him. In the videos, officers tried to separate the family, with one agent appearing to grab the woman’s hair before taking her husband into custody.
In a separate clip, the same woman confronted the officer later identified in reports, pleading in Spanish: “Take me, too.” After a brief exchange in which she touched his arm, the officer warned her not to touch him before shoving her to the ground in full view of her children, journalists, and federal court officials. As she fell, the officer was heard repeatedly saying “adios.”
The incident quickly drew condemnation from immigrant advocates and New York elected officials. Representative Dan Goldman and City Comptroller Brad Lander, both Democrats, called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the officer’s conduct and examine possible prosecution. Goldman said the officer had “violently assaulted” the woman and argued he should not remain in federal service.
Federal Officials Defend Enforcement Priorities
In a statement Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the detained man as Ruben Abelardo Ortiz-Lopez, who the agency said crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in March 2024 and was later arrested in June for “assault and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement also said the woman involved is in the U.S. unlawfully and now faces deportation proceedings.
When asked about the officer’s reinstatement, a DHS official declined to comment but emphasized the administration’s position on immigration enforcement. “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.”
As the controversy continues, immigrant rights groups have renewed calls for greater oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and accountability for use-of-force incidents. Meanwhile, critics argue the reinstatement could further erode public trust in the agency’s handling of sensitive enforcement operations.
