Jeffries, Hochul rage at Trump after Nadler’s aide nabbed by DHS agents: ‘Clearly trying to intimidate’

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused the Trump administration of attempting to intimidate Democrats after federal agents handcuffed one of Rep. Jerry Nadler’s aides in his Manhattan office. The Department of Homeland Security raided Nadler’s office last week, accusing his staff of sheltering rioters. Jeffries refrained from discussing the details of the incident but criticized the administration for the action.

“I believe the administration is clearly aiming to intimidate Democrats, as they are trying to intimidate the nation,” Jeffries stated on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. He previously stated that the arrest of Congressional Democrats was a “red line” but noted that Democrats will determine how to respond “at a time, place, and way of our choosing.”

“We want to emphasize that the House is an independent and co-equal branch of government, Congress,” he added during the interview. “We do not serve Donald Trump. We do not serve the administration.”

The altercation occurred after the aide raised concerns about the apprehension of migrants near the immigration court. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also criticized the DHS’s actions, calling them unbelievable.

Nadler condemned the incident at his office and blamed the Trump administration for causing chaos in communities. The aide was briefly detained by federal agents after witnessing them apprehend migrants in the hallways of the building that houses Nadler’s office and an immigration courtroom.

Nadler’s chief of staff, Robert Gottheim, disputed DHS’ account of the events, suggesting that the agents appeared agitated after being challenged for potential misconduct. Democrats have had similar encounters with law enforcement in recent weeks.

In a similar incident, Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) faced a criminal complaint for assault after a clash with agents at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. McIver had reportedly tried to prevent the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at the facility.

“We have responded publicly in various ways,” Jeffries said regarding such incidents. “We have not eased up on our efforts.”

“Donald Trump has learned a valuable lesson,” he later added. “The American people are not interested in bowing down to a would-be king. This is why Donald Trump is currently the most unpopular president at this point in a presidency in American history.”

Additional reporting by Steve Vago.