New York's Governor Kathy Hochul has taken a strong stance in defense of a New York City Council staffer who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during her State of the State address. The staffer, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, is an immigrant from Venezuela who had been working as a data analyst for the city council.
Hochul condemned the arrest, stating that those who are "not the baddest of the bad" should not be targeted by authorities. She emphasized that her administration will do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers from criminals, but also made it clear that people from all walks of life are speaking out against what they see as an overreach of authority.
Several high-ranking officials, including the City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have publicly called for Bohorquez's release. While Menin stated that the staffer had received legal authorization to live and work in the US until 2026, a DHS spokesperson claimed that he did not have any work authorization or legitimate immigration status.
According to officials from the City Council, Bohorquez had provided documentation showing his authorization to remain and work in the country, but it's unclear if this was sufficient to prevent ICE from taking action. The staffer is also reported to be a recipient of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would have given him a certain level of protection.
The arrest has sparked widespread outrage among city officials and residents, with many demanding Bohorquez's immediate release. Over two dozen City Council members and staff members rallied outside the ICE office in SoHo, calling for his release.
Bohorquez is currently being held at the Orange County jail, where he faces an uncertain future due to his immigration status. The situation has highlighted concerns about the treatment of immigrants in the US and the limits of authority exercised by law enforcement agencies.
As lawyers for the New York Legal Assistance Group filed a habeas petition on Bohorquez's behalf, the city remains on high alert, with many officials vowing to continue to fight for the staffer's release.
Hochul condemned the arrest, stating that those who are "not the baddest of the bad" should not be targeted by authorities. She emphasized that her administration will do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers from criminals, but also made it clear that people from all walks of life are speaking out against what they see as an overreach of authority.
Several high-ranking officials, including the City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have publicly called for Bohorquez's release. While Menin stated that the staffer had received legal authorization to live and work in the US until 2026, a DHS spokesperson claimed that he did not have any work authorization or legitimate immigration status.
According to officials from the City Council, Bohorquez had provided documentation showing his authorization to remain and work in the country, but it's unclear if this was sufficient to prevent ICE from taking action. The staffer is also reported to be a recipient of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would have given him a certain level of protection.
The arrest has sparked widespread outrage among city officials and residents, with many demanding Bohorquez's immediate release. Over two dozen City Council members and staff members rallied outside the ICE office in SoHo, calling for his release.
Bohorquez is currently being held at the Orange County jail, where he faces an uncertain future due to his immigration status. The situation has highlighted concerns about the treatment of immigrants in the US and the limits of authority exercised by law enforcement agencies.
As lawyers for the New York Legal Assistance Group filed a habeas petition on Bohorquez's behalf, the city remains on high alert, with many officials vowing to continue to fight for the staffer's release.
. And what's with the docs not being good enough to prevent his arrest? That just doesn't sit right with me 
. The fact that everyone from the city council to the governor is speaking out about this shows how messed up it is... I just hope they can get some real answers and maybe even get Rafael released soon 
️! According to data from the Pew Research Center (2022), 64% of Americans support providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including those with temporary protected status like Rafael Bohorquez 
ICE claims he didn't have legitimate work authorization, but it's unclear if that's true 
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. In fact, according to Twitter's own metrics, hashtags related to #FreeRafael have gained over 10 million impressions since his arrest 
. This case highlights the need for more comprehensive immigration reform, don't you think? 
situation! I mean, come on, ICE is supposed to be about protecting our country, not picking on some poor guy just because he's an immigrant. I get it, we need to follow the rules and all that, but it doesn't seem fair to target people who are basically going about their daily lives. It's like, Kathy Hochul is right, let's not target people who aren't the worst of the worst. This guy was just doing his job and trying to contribute to our community. It's not rocket science, folks! 
Anyway, I hope this guy gets released soon and can get back to living his life without all this stress. Fingers crossed! 
this is soooo unfair!!ICE is basically targeting an innocent guy just because he's an immigrant and got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time...I mean, come on! Kathy Hochul is totally right - those who are not the worst of the worst shouldn't be harassed by authorities. This is a huge overreach of power and it's so unacceptable that Bohorquez is being held without proper documentation...it just shows how broken our immigration system is 
. The fact that he's got TPS and was doing legit work for the city council doesn't matter - ICE is just choosing to ignore all that. We need to be standing with Hochul and demanding Bohorquez's release ASAP!!! 
. The city is all fired up, and I don't blame 'em! We need to stand up for our people and make sure they're treated fairly 
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. Newsflash: most of us who come here are fleeing violence, poverty or persecution 
. Give this guy a break 
. This is exactly why we need more protections for TPS holders and work authorization - it's like, come on, ICE! 
?
. And now this dude is stuck in jail with no clear way out 
. What’s going on here is basically an overreach of authority, if you ask me 
. I mean, I get that immigration laws need to be enforced, but this feels like a whole other level of harshness 
. The city officials are all right, though – they should keep speaking out for Bohorquez and pushing for his release 
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. And what's up with the City Council officials not having a clear answer on why ICE didn't just let him go when he had proof of his authorization 
... like, can we please just clarify what's going on here and get Rafael out ASAP ? 
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. She's not afraid to speak out against what she sees as an overreach of authority and the mistreatment of immigrants. That takes a lot of guts, especially from someone in her position 
. I'm all for it too 
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but at the same time, it's gotta be acknowledged that Bohorquez did allegedly do something wrong 
like, had he actually gotten the proper paperwork, this whole thing might've been avoided 
... meanwhile, the city's all fired up and demanding his release 
it's hard to blame 'em though, given how crazy things can get for people in that situation 
... I guess what I'm trying to say is we should be having a more nuanced conversation about this... not just "he's innocent" or "he's guilty"... but like... what are the actual implications of everything that happened here? 
. Can we have some real discussions about immigration reform instead of just tweeting #JusticeForRafael? 
...and now they say it wasn't enough? 
What did ICE expect him to do when they showed up at his address? 
But I guess that doesn't matter if you're in the wrong end of the immigration system 
anyway the whole city is out ragering against his arrest and i dont blame them 
we need to be more understanding of ppl who are tryin to build a life here and not just send them back cuz 
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. I mean, come on! 