Venezuelan NYC Council Staffer Freed After ICE Detention, Asylum Granted

Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, a 53‑year‑old Venezuelan data analyst employed by the New York City Council, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on June 19 after five months in detention. He had been arrested on a routine immigration appointment on Long Island in January and held on a $5,000 bond after a federal judge granted him asylum on May 27.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced that Rubio Bohorquez would return to his job and praised the legal infrastructure that enabled his defense. The Department of Homeland Security, however, filed an appeal on June 22, stating it will “do everything in our power to fight for the removal of this criminal illegal alien.” Rubio Bohorquez, who previously faced a third‑degree assault charge that was later dismissed, said he sought asylum because of persecution as a former government employee in Venezuela. He had been granted Temporary Protected Status under the Biden administration, which the Trump administration later revoked.

The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of immigration detention and the rights of asylum seekers in the United States.