ICE agent involved in incident of pushing woman to the floor at NYC detention center is no longer employed.

A federal agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been placed on administrative leave following an incident that was widely condemned on social media. The unfolding events occurred on September 25, 2025, at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan, where footage captured an ICE agent aggressively shoving a woman to the ground. This incident is currently under investigation by the agency.

Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the termination of the agent’s duties, calling the behavior exhibited in the video “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.” McLaughlin emphasized that personnel in law enforcement are held to the highest standards of professionalism and that the agency is committed to ensuring accountability. The identity of the agent involved has not been disclosed.

The woman in question, identified as Monica Moreta-Galarza, was attempting to prevent the detention of her husband when the altercation occurred. In the video, she appears distraught, pleading in Spanish for the agent not to remove her husband. Witnesses reported that she was visibly upset and was surrounded by her two children during the confrontation. As she tried to communicate with the agent, he is seen forcibly pushing her against a wall before shoving her to the ground, prompting concern and outrage from bystanders.

Moreta-Galarza later indicated that she sought asylum for her family and expressed disbelief that a similar situation could occur in the United States as she had experienced in her home country of Ecuador. She was briefly hospitalized following the incident, which led to increased scrutiny of ICE’s activities and protocols during detentions.

The backlash from the public was swift, with many sticking up for Moreta-Galarza. City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was present during the incident, highlighted that the situation represented excessive use of force against a non-threatening individual, stating that the woman posed no risk at the time of the altercation. Lander, alongside Rep. Dan Goldman, has called for further legal action against the agent, referring the case to the U.S. Attorney General for possible felony prosecution.

This incident is part of the ongoing national discourse around the treatment of immigrants by federal authorities. Lander and other local politicians have previously faced arrests while protesting conditions at the same immigration facility, highlighting a growing concern regarding the treatment of migrants and the conduct of federal agents in sensitive situations. As this investigation unfolds, it underscores the challenges and human rights implications surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.