Nearly 10 people were detained in Brooklyn over the weekend as protesters demonstrated against the arrest of an immigrant accused of assault and drug possession, according to officials.
The protests occurred in the Bushwick neighborhood after Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian national with previous arrests for assault and drug charges, the Department of Homeland Security said.
DHS officials said Okeke entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2023 and overstayed, with a deadline to leave the country by Feb. 26, 2024. During an enforcement operation Saturday, authorities said Okeke refused to exit his vehicle and attempted to hit ICE agents with it. He was also accused of being physically combative, trying to punch and elbow officers, DHS added.
According to DHS, officers used the minimum force necessary to detain Okeke, who was then taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for a medical evaluation. DHS said he remained non-compliant during the exam, throwing himself to the floor and screaming. He was eventually cleared by medical staff. Video footage shows ICE agents dragging him out of the hospital after the evaluation.
While at the hospital, a crowd of anti-ICE protesters gathered outside. DHS reported that the group damaged several ICE vehicles and assaulted agents, causing minor injuries. The NYPD responded to reports of disorderly conduct near the hospital around 10:25 p.m. Saturday, observing several individuals obstructing traffic and blocking emergency entrances. Nine people were taken into custody, with eight arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing government administration, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief. One person received a summons and was released.
The NYPD emphasized it does not participate in civil immigration enforcement and had no prior knowledge of the ICE operation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized ICE raids, calling them “cruel and inhumane” and saying they do not serve public safety, a comment he made after the incident.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
