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2h ago

ICE Officer in Viral Courthouse Shoving Case Returned to Duty After Preliminary Review

Officials say he is back on the job following a preliminary review, after DHS initially said he was relieved pending an investigation.

A federal agent pushes the wife of the detained man from Ecuador to the ground on September 25, 2025 in New York City. Despite getting continuances on their asylum claims, Federal agents will still detain immigrants who appear for their court dates at the Jacob K. Javits building at 26 Federal Plaza.
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Overview

  • Videos from 26 Federal Plaza show a plainclothes ICE supervisor pushing Monica Elizabeth Moreta-Galarza to the floor as agents detained her husband.
  • Two U.S. officials told CBS News the officer was reinstated to duty internally, and it has not been publicly announced where the investigation now stands.
  • ICE identified the detained husband as Ruben Abelardo Ortiz-Lopez and said he crossed the border unlawfully in March 2024 and was arrested locally in June; the agency said Moreta-Galarza is also in the U.S. unlawfully and in deportation proceedings.
  • DHS previously condemned the conduct as unacceptable and said the officer was relieved of duties during a full investigation, with no criminal charges disclosed to date.
  • Moreta-Galarza has spoken publicly, appealed to President Trump for compassion, and her attorney and New York officials are urging accountability as the family seeks the husband's release.