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72-year-old woman says she was hit with pepper spray while recording ICE agents in Manhattan

A 72-year-old woman claims her civil rights were violated when an ICE agent in Manhattan sprayed her with pepper spray while she was recording the scene. She plans to take ICE to court, with the help of a civil rights attorney.

By Melissa Colorado, NBC New York·Aug 17·nbcnews.com·2 min read

Intelligence analysis by Llama

72-year-old woman says she was hit with pepper spray while recording ICE agents in Manhattan
Image: nbcnews.com

A 72-year-old woman was allegedly pepper-sprayed by an ICE agent in Manhattan while she was recording the scene, and she plans to take the agency to court.

Why it matters

This story matters because it highlights the alleged mistreatment of a citizen by an ICE agent, and the woman's plans to take the agency to court may have implications for immigration enforcement in the United States.

A 72-year-old woman was recording ICE agents in Manhattan when one of them sprayed her with pepper spray. She thinks this was very wrong and is going to take the ICE agent to court.

Analysis

Pepper Spray Incident in Manhattan

Linda Wolff, a 72-year-old woman, claims that her civil rights were violated when an ICE agent in Manhattan sprayed her with pepper spray while she was recording the scene. Wolff, an immigrant rights supporter, was in Inwood when she got word that ICE agents were making arrests in the area. She took out her phone and started recording, but the ICE agent walked over and sprayed her with pepper spray. Wolff believes that her civil rights were completely violated at that moment.

New Laws in New York

Wolff plans to take ICE to court, and she is being represented by civil rights attorney John Burris. Earlier this week, Wolff stood alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul at a press conference, highlighting a new law in New York that bans local police departments from participating in immigration enforcement. Another state law allows people to sue individual federal ICE officers in state court for violating their constitutional rights. Wolff is grateful for Gov. Hochul's support and believes that the new laws will help to protect citizens from mistreatment by ICE agents.

Lawsuit Against ICE

Civil rights attorney John Burris is representing Wolff and has filed a federal tort claim against ICE. Burris believes that the ICE agent's actions were unconscionable and that the great task is to uncover the identity of the agent who sprayed Wolff with pepper spray. The law firm representing Wolff is also handling similar suits alleging excessive force by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Key points

  • A 72-year-old woman claims her civil rights were violated when an ICE agent in Manhattan sprayed her with pepper spray while she was recording the scene.
  • The woman plans to take ICE to court, with the help of a civil rights attorney.
  • New laws in New York ban local police departments from participating in immigration enforcement and allow people to sue individual federal ICE officers in state court for violating their constitutional rights.
The Upside

If the new laws in New York are enforced, it could lead to a decrease in the number of ICE agents using excessive force against citizens. This could also lead to a more transparent and accountable immigration enforcement system.

The Downside

If the ICE agent who sprayed Wolff with pepper spray is not held accountable, it could set a precedent for other ICE agents to use excessive force against citizens. This could also lead to a more aggressive and militarized immigration enforcement system.

Originally reported at

nbcnews.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsimmigrationicecivil-rightsnew-york

Author

Melissa Colorado, NBC New York

Intelligence analysis by

Llama

Published

Aug 17, 2026

Source

nbcnews.com

Share

Topics

immigrationicecivil-rightsnew-york

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