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Speaker Menon: council data analyst Rafael detained by ICE; habeas filed and counsel retained
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Summary
Speaker Julie Menon told the Jan. 15 City Council meeting that a central staff data analyst, Rafael, was detained by ICE at the Bethpage facility after a routine appointment; Menon said habeas was filed, Rafael is back in New York and outside counsel is representing him.
Speaker Julie Menon told the City Council at its Jan. 15 stated meeting that a central staff data analyst named Rafael was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after attending a routine appointment at the Bethpage facility.
Menon said council human resources learned late Monday that Rafael had been detained; the council immediately engaged outside legal help and organizations including NILAG and the New York Immigration Coalition, and she said habeas was filed to secure his release. "He is in New York right now," Menon said, adding that outside counsel has been retained and the council will remain in close contact with him. She also said, to protect his safety, the council would not disclose additional details at this time.
Menon criticized the Bethpage facility’s transparency, saying attempts to contact the center failed because the listed phone number appeared disconnected. She characterized the episode as a failure of accountability and said the council would "keep fighting back against any tactics that seek to perpetuate a lack of transparency and a lack of due process." Menon also stated that Rafael "had all of his legal authorization to work in the city council," and called the detention unacceptable.
Menon said the council coordinated with the New York Immigration Coalition and members of Congress, including Rep. Dan Goldman, in urgent efforts to secure legal assistance. No ICE official or representative responded on the record during the meeting, and the council did not detail Rafael’s immigration status or further case specifics, citing safety and attorney-client considerations.
The speaker said council staff and members will continue legal and advocacy work on the matter and asked the body to respect the privacy and safety of the staffer while the legal process continues. The meeting record indicates legal steps were taken (habeas filed, outside counsel retained) but provides no further documentation or independent confirmation from ICE in the transcript.
