Community members, elected officials rally in Bushwick following weekend ICE protest
The NYPD said eight people were arrested and one person received a summon.
More Stories
Dozens of community members and elected officials rallied outside of Wyckoff Hospital on Monday, following several arrests at Immigration and Customs Enforcement demonstrations over the weekend.
Video showed the clash between community members and law enforcement on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, as hundreds showed up to protest against ICE at the hospital.
The NYPD said eight people were arrested and one person received a summon.
In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the ICE enforcement operation targeted the arrest of Chidozie Wilson Okeke, of Nigeria, who entered the U.S. on a visa in 2023, which expired in 2024. The spokesperson added that the detainee has a history of assault and criminal drug possession.
Witnesses told News 12 that NYPD assaulted demonstrators.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said NYPD officers opened and closed hospital doors for ICE agents and assisted as ICE left the hospital.
“None of this happens if ICE doesn’t show up to New York City, which is part of the problem,” Reynoso said. “Every single time ICE shows up, they’re making people more unsafe. There are people that don’t want to go into this hospital now that are in fear of whether or not they’re going to get deported. NYPD has to make sure that they’re keeping the crowd at bay and that they’re doing their job, but what they don’t do is help ICE.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about the weekend protests as well on Monday. He said the NYPD responded to 911 calls about protests outside the hospital - not to aid ICE - which he called the raids cruel and inhumane.
The NYPD said officers were called to “street disruptions” and were not involved with ICE operations. A spokesperson for Wyckoff Hospital said they had no comment.
