Comptroller Lander and Congressman Goldman Letter to AG Bondi re Excessive Force by ICE Officer

The Honorable Pamela J. Bondi
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Attorney General Bondi:

We write to refer for your review, investigation, and potential prosecution an incident of excessive force by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer that took place at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City on Thursday, September 25. According to witnesses — including members of the press — and documented by video footage, an ICE officer violently and unnecessarily threw a woman, Monica, to the ground in front of her young children, causing her to hit the back of her head on the floor and require treatment at the hospital. The incident took place shortly after ICE agents detained Monica’s husband following a routine court appearance related to his asylum application.[1]

This flagrantly egregious conduct by this ICE officer is in apparent violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under the Color of Law), which makes it a federal crime for any officer or agent acting under color of law to willfully deprive an individual of rights that are secured or protected by the laws of the United States and the Constitution.[2] In this case, the officer, acting under the color of law, willfully used excessive physical force by throwing a young mother to the ground and thereby deprived the victim of her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. As you know, the Fourth Amendment applies to all persons in the United States, including Monica.

Federal prosecutors have a history of successfully pursuing similar cases. For instance, in 2022, a federal jury convicted a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer of violating § 242 after he used unreasonable force on an individual at the Calexico Port of Entry. Evidence presented in this case involved surveillance video and witness testimony showing the CBP officer grabbing a man from his car, throwing him to the ground, and causing injury during their encounter.[3] The officer’s conviction underscores how deliberate use of force and abuse of power by federal officers warrant legal action under the scope of § 242.

Moreover, your own Justice Department has demonstrated a consistent pattern of filing felony charges for far less serious conduct. A hallmark of equal justice under the law is that like cases are treated alike. If, as you are fond of saying, “no one is above the law,”[4] then certainly this incident deserves prosecution under the very precedent set by you as Attorney General.

We respectfully request that you immediately investigate this incident in a timely manner and enforce the laws prohibiting this gross misconduct to the fullest extent. Every person in this country must be assured that federal officers are not above the law, and that if they engage in abuses of power they will be held accountable for their actions.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

cc: The Honorable Jay Clayton
United States Attorney, Southern District of New York

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[1] U.S. Agent Pushes Woman to Floor in Immigration Courthouse Confrontation, New York Times (Sept. 25, 2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/nyregion/ice-push-woman-nyc.html

[2] 18 U.S.C. § 242 (2024).

[3] Press Release, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the S. Dist. of Cal., Customs and Border Protection Officer Convicted by Federal Jury of Using Unreasonable Force at Calexico Port of Entry and Obstructing Justice (Mar. 9, 2022), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/customs-and-border-protection-officer-convicted-federal-jury-using-unreaso nable-force.

[4] Pam Bondi (@AGPamBondi), “No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case,” X (formerly Twitter), September 25, 2025, https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1971345371583611099