Outrage Grows Nationwide After ICE Officer Shoves Mother to the Ground in NYC Immigration Court

The violent encounter at 26 Federal Plaza has sparked calls for criminal prosecution, renewed scrutiny of ICE tactics, and questions about the treatment of immigrant families inside U.S. courts

Natalie C. Frank, Ph.D September 2025

Woman thrown to ground by ICE agent in New York; Creator/YouTube screenshot

NEW YORK CITY - Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer caught on video shoving a mother against a wall and forcing her to the ground inside a New York City immigration courthouse has been removed from his current duties while federal officials investigate, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The incident, which happened Thursday inside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, sparked national outrage after multiple videos circulated on social media. Immigrant-rights advocates, elected officials and city leaders condemned the officer’s conduct as unlawful and cruel, especially at a moment when immigrant families already face pressure just for showing up to their hearings.

“The officer’s conduct in this video is unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS. “Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation.”

It’s unclear whether “relieved of duties” means the officer is suspended, reassigned or still employed elsewhere in the agency. ICE has not clarified his status despite repeated questions from reporters.

The woman in the video has been identified as Monica Moreta-Galarza. She and her family have open asylum claims, Rep. Dan Goldman’s office said; his district includes the courthouse. Goldman’s office said the family “are here lawfully but are being targeted by ICE regardless.”

Videos show Moreta-Galarza clutching her husband as agents moved to detain him. With her children watching, she resisted being separated from her family. A masked officer pulled her hair, and voices in the background can be heard saying, “Just grab her, grab her, and pull her away.”

Moments later, she is dragged down the hallway, wailing as officers pull her from her husband. The footage shows her being taken into a nearby room as her children cry out in distress. When she reemerges, she confronts an agent in Spanish, saying, “You guys don’t care about anything!” The officer responds dismissively with, “Adios, adios.”

The video then shows the most violent moment. The agent grabs Moreta-Galarza, shoves her into a wall, pushes her several feet down the hall, and forces her to the ground. Standing over her, the officer orders her to “Leave!” in Spanish and tells others to escort her out of the building.

Goldman and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, both vocal critics of ICE, have referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible felony prosecution. In a joint statement, they said the agent’s conduct violated federal law.

“In this case, the officer, acting under the color of law, willfully used excessive physical force by throwing a young mother to the ground and thereby deprived the victim of her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures,” the statement said.

The officials called the incident “flagrantly egregious conduct” and urged prosecutors to consider criminal charges. Lander also pledged to help Moreta-Galarza and her family find legal assistance.

New York City leaders reacted quickly. Mayor Eric Adams’ office condemned the officer’s actions, saying incidents like this erode trust and discourage immigrant families from using public services or appearing in court.

“Like so many, we have seen the upsetting images of a federal agent appearing to shove a woman — whose husband had just been detained by ICE — to the ground, and we are pleased to hear this incident is being investigated,” mayoral spokesperson Liz Garcia said. “The city is less safe when immigrants are afraid to use basic services and attend court hearings.”

State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor, called the video both shocking and emblematic of what immigrant families face regularly. “The fact that we knew that that act is taking place every day across this country, oftentimes unseen, unnoticed and unabashed in its cruelty,” Mamdani said, “makes it even more important that we describe it, that we stand up to it.”

Goldman’s office said that after the incident, Moreta-Galarza, her children, and a local pastor went to his office for safety. She was later taken to a hospital to be checked for possible head trauma.

Speaking to reporters, Moreta-Galarza said she fled violence in Ecuador only to face more violence from U.S. authorities. “Over (in Ecuador), they beat us there too,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d come here to the United States and the same thing would happen to me.”

Father Fabian Arias, who works closely with immigrant families, confirmed Moreta-Galarza plans to sue ICE for excessive force. Her husband has been moved to a detention center in New Jersey; his legal status and future remain unclear.

Thursday’s incident puts a spotlight on ICE’s wider enforcement tactics. The courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza has long been a focal point for immigration crackdowns in New York City. Advocates say families who show up for their hearings often end up targeted by enforcement actions.

“They trap and deport our neighbors when they are simply abiding by the rules to show up for their hearings,” said Jorge Torres, organizing director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “We demand ICE out of the courts — no arrests in or around our courthouses.”

Lander echoed that view on social media, saying masked ICE agents “are acting violently against our neighbors, illegally abducting them, holding them in cruel and inhumane conditions. Treating them as less-than-human, and not deserving due process.”

Immigrant advocates and city leaders say the video evidence points to a pattern of heavy-handed tactics that cross the line into abuse. Critics add that the lack of transparency about the officer’s employment status further erodes public trust.

Whether the U.S. Attorney’s Office pursues criminal charges remains to be seen. But for Moreta-Galarza and her family, the incident is already life-altering. A woman who fled her homeland in search of safety is now a symbol of the dangers immigrant families face within the very system meant to adjudicate their claims.