A controversial arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has sparked widespread outrage in New York after a Nigerian national was repeatedly tased and forcibly removed from his vehicle. The incident, captured on video by bystanders and published by The City, shows a masked agent deploying a taser at a man seated in the driver’s seat of a white car.
The man, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Chidozie Wilson Okeke, can be heard screaming in pain and repeatedly asking to speak with a lawyer while calling for help from onlookers. At one point, an agent is seen cutting his seatbelt with a knife before pulling him from the vehicle. “Somebody help me—they’re killing me,” he is heard
shouting in the video.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Okeke, a Nigerian citizen, had prior arrests related to assault and drug offences and had overstayed his tourist visa. The spokesperson further claimed that he attempted to strike ICE officers and use his vehicle against them. “Our officers used the minimum force necessary to carry out the arrest, consistent with training,” the statement said.
Tensions escalated later that night when Okeke was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for treatment. News of ICE’s presence quickly drew protesters to the hospital. Witnesses reported that agents used pepper spray against demonstrators as the situation intensified.
Around 2 a.m., ICE agents removed Okeke—still in handcuffs—from the hospital and placed him into a vehicle, while officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) worked to control the crowd. Police arrested nine individuals during the overnight unrest, with eight facing charges including resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental
administration.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the incident at a press conference, stating that NYPD officers did not assist in the ICE operation but responded solely to 911 calls related to the protest. “Our laws do not permit NYPD involvement in civil immigration enforcement,” he said, describing the ICE operation as “cruel and inhumane.”
Meanwhile, Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, strongly condemned the incident. He accused ICE of employing “violent and unlawful tactics” and called for an investigation into the broader response, including the role of law enforcement agencies.
The incident has intensified ongoing debates over immigration enforcement practices and the role of local authorities in federal operations, particularly in sanctuary cities like New York.
