Rep. Jerrold Nadler is demanding a congressional investigation after an aide at his Manhattan office was handcuffed and detained by Department of Homeland Security officers.
The incident, which occurred on May 28, began after the staffer saw federal agents detaining migrants outside a courtroom located in the same building as the New York Democrat’s office, according to The New York Times.
Robert Gottheim, Nadler’s chief of staff, told The New York Times in an interview that staff members had invited immigration rights advocates who witnessed the detentions to the office.
Nadler alleged in a CNN interview on June 2 that the officers had “barged” into his office because the officers were “upset” that his staff members watched them detain immigrants.
“And they were upset that my staff invited some of the observers up to my office. They then came up to the office and demanded entrance. One of my staff members said, you can’t come in here, you need a warrant. They said, ‘No, we don’t need a warrant,’ which is incorrect,” Nadler said.
Nadler further claimed that one of the officers pushed his aide and she pushed back, and was then shackled. Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin alleged in a statement that the aide “became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office.”
In a video shared by Gothamist, a New York City-focused news website that first reported the incident, an officer with the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, can be seen handcuffing an apparently distressed staffer. Another officer had confronted a second Nadler aide, who asked for a warrant.
Nadler further claimed that one of the officers pushed his aide and she pushed back, and was then shackled. Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin alleged in a statement that the aide “became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office.”
In a video shared by Gothamist, a New York City-focused news website that first reported the incident, an officer with the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, can be seen handcuffing an apparently distressed staffer. Another officer had confronted a second Nadler aide, who asked for a warrant.
