AJ orders deportation after routine appointment
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says an administrative immigration judge ordered the deportation of City Council employee Rafael Rubio after a routine appointment led to detention — a development drawing local political fire. The episode is being framed as an 'affront to justice' by city officials and could spur litigation or policy pushback. (x.com)
U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan is named in the City Council’s March 18 statement as the judge who ordered Rafael Rubio’s removal on Wednesday. (council.nyc.gov) Rubio, identified by federal officials as Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, was arrested at a scheduled immigration check‑in in Bethpage, Long Island, on Jan. 12. (cityandstateny.com) City officials say Rubio was first held near the court, moved to a Varick Street holding center in Manhattan and later transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. (hoodline.com) The Department of Homeland Security says Rubio entered on a B‑2 tourist visa in 2017, overstayed, lacked work authorization and has a prior assault arrest, a characterization DHS made public after the January arrest. (dhs.gov) The Council disputes DHS’s account, characterizing the March 18 ruling as hinging on a procedural technicality in an asylum filing and asserting Rubio had authorization to remain; the Council vowed an appeal with a filing deadline set for April 17. (council.nyc.gov) City Council members and staffers staged protests outside federal immigration facilities in mid‑January and again at Varick Street as officials sought legal avenues to secure Rubio’s release. (politico.com) Rubio’s lawyers previously filed habeas and bond litigation in federal court where Judge Cronan heard a challenge and appeared skeptical, and records show an immigration judge denied bond earlier in February. (courthousenews.com) Congresswoman Grace Meng visited the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and met with Rubio during a recent tour of the facility. (meng.house.gov)
