ICE says it arrested a New York City Council employee with no work authorization

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Evidence from credible sources supports the statement as accurate. Learn more in Methodology.

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enforcement

ICE arrest records, DHS/ICE official statements, or court records confirm the arrest, the individual's employment by the New York City Council, and that he lacked work authorization and had a prior arrest for assault.

Source summary

DHS announced the arrest of Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, a Venezuelan national employed by the New York City Council who entered the U.S. on a B2 tourist visa in 2017 and overstayed, had no work authorization, and has a prior arrest for assault. The release highlights this case as one of several recent arrests of unauthorized immigrants working in government roles, citing earlier ICE actions that detained a former Hanover Park police officer and a Des Moines school superintendent. DHS officials framed the arrests as part of targeted enforcement operations, including references to Operation Midway Blitz.

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Latest fact check

An official Department of Homeland Security press release dated January 13, 2026, states that ICE arrested New York City Council employee Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez and describes him as a "criminal illegal alien" whose criminal history "includes an arrest for assault in New York." The same release explicitly says he "had no work authorization and was illegally employed." Multiple news outlets, citing DHS officials and this press release, report that DHS/ICE characterized Rubio Bohorquez as lacking work authorization and having a prior assault arrest. The verdict is True because DHS/ICE did in fact publicly announce his arrest and state that he had no work authorization and a prior arrest for assault, exactly as described in the claim, regardless of disputes about the underlying facts.

Sources

Timeline

Update · Jan 14, 2026, 08:40 AMTrue
An official Department of Homeland Security press release dated January 13, 2026, states that ICE arrested New York City Council employee Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez and describes him as a "criminal illegal alien" whose criminal history "includes an arrest for assault in New York." The same release explicitly says he "had no work authorization and was illegally employed." Multiple news outlets, citing DHS officials and this press release, report that DHS/ICE characterized Rubio Bohorquez as lacking work authorization and having a prior assault arrest. The verdict is True because DHS/ICE did in fact publicly announce his arrest and state that he had no work authorization and a prior arrest for assault, exactly as described in the claim, regardless of disputes about the underlying facts.
Original article · Jan 13, 2026
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