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Following outrage from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the arrest of a city council employee, the Department of Homeland Security shared that the individual arrested is an illegal immigrant with a previous arrest for assault.
According to DHS, the employee, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, 53, is a “criminal illegal alien” from Venezuela. The agency said that despite Rubio Bohorquez being employed by the city council of America’s largest city, he has no work authorization and was illegally employed.
Further, DHS said that Rubio Bohorquez has a criminal history, including an arrest for assault in New York.
Rubio Bohorquez entered the United States on a B2 tourist visa in 2017, which required him to depart the same year, according to DHS.
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DHS said the New York City Council employee it arrested, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, is a Venezuelan illegal immigrant with a criminal history. (DHS)
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the fact that “a criminal illegal alien with no authorization” was employed by the New York City Council “shocking.”
“This takes sanctuary city to a whole new level,” said McLaughlin.
“This criminal illegal alien has no authority to be in the U.S. and has a previous arrest for assault. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the United States is no longer a safe haven for criminals.”
Mamdani and other city leaders demanded the man’s release on Monday.
“I am outraged to hear a New York City Council employee was detained in Nassau County by federal immigration officials at a routine immigration appointment,” Mamdani wrote in a statement on X.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was elected in November 2025 and sworn in as the city’s first socialist mayor Jan. 1, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
He…
