Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote a short but scathing letter Friday calling for federal action against the “brazen” assault of two NYPD officers by immigrants near Times Square, calling for “foreign nationals” to be behind the attack. demanded to know whether he would be deported.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Graham said he was “saddened but not surprised to hear about the latest impact of President Biden’s illegal immigration crisis.”
“I write this letter today to ask what the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security intends to do in response to this brazen attack,” the South Carolina Republican continued.
“Will the foreign nationals who carried out this attack be deported? If so, when? If not, why not?” he demanded to know.
Graham’s letter comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, doubled down on her calls for immigrants involved in a vicious brawl caught on camera to be expelled from the United States.
“Please take it all and send it back,” Hochul told reporters at an unrelated news conference Thursday.
Police said seven suspects, all asylum seekers from Venezuela, were arrested and charged in connection with the assault.
Five people, including Joanne Boada, who turned off her camera as she left the courtroom Wednesday, were charged with second-degree assault on a police officer and obstruction of public administration and were released without bail.
Darwin Andres Gomez, 19, Kelvin Servita Arrocha, 19, Wilson Juarez, 21, and Yeoman Rebellon, 24, then left town on a bus bound for California. It appears he escaped, a source told the Post.
At the time of his arrest for assaulting a police officer, Rebellon was already the subject of two unresolved criminal cases in Manhattan — including beating an employee at Macy’s Herald Square and robbing a store last month. This included suspicions that he had attempted to do so.
Police officials added that there is still at least one suspect under investigation by the NYPD in connection with the incident.
Investigators also believe four of the suspects may be connected to the Torren de Aragua gang, which has been described as Venezuela’s “most powerful domestic criminals” and has gained international recognition. They are also investigating whether there is, a person familiar with the matter told the Post.
The gang’s violence in other countries has clearly alarmed foreign governments, prompting large-scale operations targeting the group in Chile, Peru and Colombia, the report, seen by the Post, said.
Police noticed similarities between the group’s known MO and the suspect’s own clothing, hair, and tattoos.
The vicious assault occurred around 8:30 p.m. Saturday when Lt. Ben Kurian and Police Officer Tian Zunxu attempted to intervene with a noisy group outside the West 42nd Street shelter.
A police officer pushed one of the migrants to the ground, and the remaining officers took turns kicking the two officers before fleeing.
Both men suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
At a press conference on Wednesday, NYPD Sergeant John Chell slammed the decision to release the five suspects, calling the immigrants involved in the attack “cowards.”
“It’s reprehensible,” the chief said. “Do you want to know why our police officers are being assaulted? There are no consequences. Eight people assaulted two police officers. Cowards.”
