Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker and data analyst for the New York City Council, was arrested by ICE on January 12, 2026, during a routine appointment at the Bethpage Asylum Office on Long Island. He had Temporary Protected Status, no criminal record, and was authorized to work in the U.S. until October, according to City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who disputed ICE's claim he lacked work authorization. The New York Legal Assistance Group filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf, and protesters gathered outside the Manhattan federal building where he was initially held. He was later moved through several detention facilities, denied bond on February 2, and ultimately granted asylum by an immigration judge on May 2. Rubio was released on $5,000 bond on June 19 after 158 days in custody; DHS has appealed the asylum ruling. Menin said he "had done nothing wrong" and was "wrongfully in ICE detention for months on end."