NEW: ICE Agent Who Was Suspended Over Altercation With Illegal Alien Returns To Duty

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was initially relieved of his current duties over an altercation with the wife of an illegal alien has been reinstated after a review of the footage.

The viral incident took place outside an immigration court in New York City on Friday, when Monica Moreta-Galarza, an asylum seeker from Ecuador, was seen pleading for the release of her husband. An ICE agent attempted to dismiss her by saying “adios,” at which point she got in his face and began grabbing at his chest.

The agent then pulled the woman down a hallway before throwing her on the floor.

Left-wing activists and lawmakers — many of whom have been holding near daily protests outside the New York City courthouse — immediately pounced on the incident and called for the agent to be fired. U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) claimed that the Ecuadorian woman and her two children “fled” to his office after the incident and suggested that the agent should be criminally prosecuted.

Goldman called it an example of “secret police officers who are attacking our communities with excessive violence … and they just think that they can do it with impunity, because nobody is holding them accountable,” while speaking with reporters after the incident. Goldman and city comptroller Brad Lander sent a two-page document calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue felony charges against the officer.

While speaking with reporters on Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the conduct of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.”

“Our ICE law enforcement are held to the highest professional standards and this officer is being relieved of current duties as we conduct a full investigation,” she added.

🚨 BREAKING: This ICE agent has been REINSTATED to full active duty after being "relieved" for responding to a woman assaulting him, per @JackPosobiec.

GREAT NEWS.

DO NOT punish ICE for defending themselves.

Don't target law enforcement if you don't want to be pushed. It's as… pic.twitter.com/47yhTzW3kr

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 28, 2025

The suspension prompted outrage among President Trump’s base, many of whom pointed to the fact that the woman shoved and grabbed at the agent. Others argued that it sends the wrong message following an unprecedented rise in attacks targeting ICE and other federal agencies.

“The woman who assaulted an ICE Agent and subsequently was thrown to the ground should be deported IMMEDIATELY,” said conservative activist Ryan Fournier. “And the ICE Agent who was suspended for it should immediately be reinstated with back pay.”

On Sunday morning, Human Events editor Jack Posobiec that the agent had been fully reinstated following a department review of the footage. “I am told this ICE officer has been returned to full active duty after a complete footage review which shows he did nothing wrong,” he said.

The incident came just days after a far-left extremist indiscriminately opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas. Two detainees were killed and another was critically injured when the gunman fired blindly into a van outside the building.