Over the weekend, nearly ten individuals were taken into custody in New York amidst protests against ICE. Demonstrators rallied against the detention of an undocumented immigrant accused of assault and drug possession, as reported by officials.
These protests took place in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn following the apprehension of Chidozie Wilson Okeke. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Okeke, a Nigerian national, was previously arrested for assault and drug-related charges.
Okeke originally entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2023, which mandated his departure by February 26, 2024. However, he failed to comply with this requirement, as stated by DHS.
During a scheduled immigration enforcement operation on Saturday, ICE agents encountered resistance from Okeke, who allegedly refused to leave his vehicle and attempted to strike agents with it. Subsequent reports from the agency accuse him of being “physically combative” and trying to assault the agents.
The protests in Bushwick were sparked by the arrest of Chidozie Wilson Okeke, as noted by sources from FNTV.
“Our officers adhered to their training protocols and applied the minimum necessary force to carry out the arrest,” read a statement from DHS.
After his arrest, Okeke was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for a medical evaluation. Okeke “remained non-compliant during the medical evaluation, throwing himself to the floor and screaming,” DHS said, adding that he was eventually cleared by medical staff.
Video shows ICE agents dragging Okeke out of the hospital following his medical evaluation.
During the medical evaluation, a crowd of anti-ICE protesters gathered outside the hospital. DHS says the group damaged several ICE vehicles and assaulted agents, causing minor injuries.
Video shows ICE agents dragging Chidozie Wilson Okeke out of the hospital following his medical evaluation. (FNTV)
The NYPD said officers responded to reports of disorderly protesters outside the hospital between Stanhope and Stockholm streets on Saturday at around 10:25 p.m. Officers reported observing several people acting disorderly, obstructing vehicle traffic and blocking emergency entrances and exits to the hospital.
Officers issued repeated verbal warnings for the protesters to disperse and return to the sidewalks, according to the department.
Nine people were then taken into custody, including eight who were arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, the NYPD said. One person was issued a summons and released.
Nine protesters were then taken into custody, including eight who were arrested and charged. (FNTV)
The NYPD said it does not participate in civil immigration enforcement and had no prior awareness of the ICE operation.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told a Gothamist reporter after the incident on Saturday that ICE raids are “cruel and inhumane” and “they do nothing to serve in the interest of public safety, and I’ve said that even directly to the president.”
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