Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) claimed he was “deeply disturbed” that one of his aides was briefly handcuffed by an officer with the Department of Homeland Security in his New York district office.
DHS officers entered Nadler’s Manhattan office Wednesday and put handcuffs on an aide whose identity remains anonymous. Another staffer captured the moment on video and is accused by an officer of “harboring rioters in the office.” The office claimed he didn’t need a warrant to arrest the aide.
“President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are sowing chaos in our communities, using intimidation tactics against both citizens and non-citizens in a reckless and dangerous manner,” Nadler said in a statement on X Saturday. “While no arrests were made and the situation was quickly de-escalated, I am alarmed by the aggressive and heavy-handed tactics DHS is employing in New York City and across the country.”
“The decision to enter a Congressional office and detain a staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries. If this can happen in a Member of Congress’s office, it can happen to anyone — and it is happening,” Nadler said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to DHS for comment.
A senior DHS official reported to the Hill that the encounter involved the Federal Protective Service, which “responded to information that protesters were present” inside Nadler’s Manhattan office and went to the office because they “were concerned about the safety of the federal employees in the office.”
“Upon arrival, officers were granted entry and encountered four individuals. Officers identified themselves and explained their intent to conduct a security check. However, one individual became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office,” the official said. “The officers then detained the individual in the hallway for the purpose of completing the security check. All were released without further incident.”
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Still, Nadler implied the encounter had to do with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, as he implored the president to “abandon use of the expedited removal process, which denies due process to immigrants and citizens alike.”
The FPS envelopes some 1.4 million federal employees and their visitors on a daily basis. In the course of a year the agency can receive over 530,000 calls for service.