Comptroller Lander and Congressman Goldman Letter to DHS Sec. Noem re Reinstatement of ICE Officer and Misconduct at 26 Federal Plaza

The Honorable
Kristi Noem Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Mr. Todd M. Lyons
Acting Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Washington, D.C. 20024

Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We are horrified and outraged by reports that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer that violently and unnecessarily shoved a woman, Monica, to the ground in front of her young children at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City has been reinstated without explanation just three days after he was relieved of his duties.[1] As one might fear from this precedent, it now appears that decision has been viewed by multiple rank and file ICE officers stationed at 26 Federal Plaza as license to escalate the use of violence against unarmed bystanders.

Today, reports indicate that multiple photojournalists were assaulted by masked, unidentifiable officers, leading at least one to require immediate medical attention by ambulance. This simply cannot continue from government officials responsible for keeping the public safe. Worse yet, your stunning lack of leadership is evidently accelerating a crisis of potential civil rights violations within the Department. Immediate action must be taken to discipline these officers and implement reforms that will prevent this behavior from continuing. If you will not take these steps then the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has an obligation to step in.

In announcing the suspension of the officer who assaulted Monica on Friday, September 26 – which was caught on video from multiple angles – the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a public statement denouncing the officer’s conduct and behavior, describing it as “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”[2] We agree and we applauded the Department’s decision to relieve the agent from his duties.

Sadly, your correct instinct has yielded to a more typical response of condoning and endorsing violence and excessive force by your agents as you artificially inflate alleged threats to ICE officers. Your statement last week was correct: the agent’s conduct was unacceptable. Nobody should be surprised that your decision to reinstate the assaulting officer coincided with another violent incident at the same location today.

Thus, we demand answers from you on the following questions. If, as has been your repeated pattern during this administration, you do not respond to these questions by the deadline set below, we will refer this matter to the Inspector General, who is cc’d below, for further investigation.

1. Why was this officer reinstated?
   1. What specific findings justified the decision to reinstate this officer?
   2. Who conducted the review?
2. Do you believe that this conduct is acceptable for an ICE agent? If not, why was he reinstated?
3. What is DHS policy on the use of excessive force and how does that policy apply in this instance?
4. What actions are you taking to ensure that ICE officers who commit acts of excessive force are held accountable?
5. What changes, if any, will your Department make to officer training to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future?

We look forward to your response to our inquiries no later than Friday, October 3, 2025.

Sincerely,

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cc: Joseph V. Cuffari
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane SW
Washington, D.C. 20528

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[1] Camilo Montoya-Galvez, ICE Officer Seen on Video Pushing Woman to Ground Has Returned to Duty, CBS News (Sept. 29, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-officer-pushed-woman-video-returns-to-duty

[2] ABC News, ICE Officer “Relieved of Current Duties” After Violent Confrontation Caught on Camera (Sept. 26, 2025), https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-officer-relieved-current-duties-after-violent-confrontation/story?id=125974099