In Buffalo, New York, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested a 39-year-old Turkish man during an operation on November 5. The man, Saim Irgui, allegedly resisted arrest violently, attempted to grab an officer’s Taser, and shouted “Allah Akbar.” According to ICE officials, he entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2023 and was released without review by the Biden administration. Since then, he has accumulated a history of violent crimes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
During the enforcement operation, ICE officers aimed to detain Irgui. They reported that he actively resisted arrest, attempting to seize Tasers from the officers while shouting “Allah Akbar.”
Irgui had crossed the border illegally from Mexico near Jamul, California, on July 7, 2023, and was released shortly after by Border Patrol agents without any review by the Biden administration, officials stated.
Following his release, he was free to move around the U.S. and was involved in various criminal activities, including an assault charge from March 19 in Pennsauken, New Jersey. While that specific charge was dropped, he was found guilty of another offense in Philadelphia, where he faced charges of strangulation, simple assault, and reckless endangerment.
About the encounter on November 5, ICE provided details, mentioning:
During a targeted operation in Tonawanda, ICE officers recognized Irgui driving away from a residence. After safely signaling him to stop, the officers identified him as an illegal alien from Turkey, lacking permission to remain in the U.S. When asked to exit the vehicle, Irgui refused and struggled against the officers’ attempts to remove him. Eventually, he was taken out of the vehicle and continued to resist. The officers then drew their Tasers, warning him that they would use them if he did not comply. As they attempted to apprehend him, Irgui tried to seize an officer’s Taser and shouted “Allahu Akbar,” prompting another officer to deploy his Taser. He was subsequently apprehended and taken to the Buffalo Federal Detention Center for processing. Upon arrival, medical staff evaluated him and cleared him for detention.
As expressed by Tammy Marich, acting Director of the ICE Buffalo Field Office, “Saim Irgui poses a significant threat to public safety in Western New York.” She added that ICE Buffalo officers are dedicated to identifying and removing criminal illegal aliens.
ICE has not disclosed whether Irgui has any affiliations with known terrorist groups.
