DHS says it is "NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake" after Concepcion's detention
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Homeland Security spokesperson, in a statement to CBS News New York
DHS said it does not arrest U.S. citizens by mistake, that its operations are targeted, and that Concepcion was not arrested by ICE but matched the physical description of the operation's target.
Responding to
Jeury Concepcion was not arrested by ICE.
“DHS is NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake. DHS enforcement operations are highly targeted, and officers do their due diligence. We know who we are targeting ahead of time. If and when we do encounter individuals subject to arrest, our law enforcement is trained to ask a series of well-determined questions to determine status and removability. This individual was NOT arrested by ICE. On May 6, ICE law enforcement was conducting a targeted enforcement operation when they encountered an individual who matched the physical description of the target outside of the target's residence.”
Original text
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did ICE agents falsify records and testimony in the Bronx arrests of Angel Almonte and Jeury Concepcion?
On May 6, 2026, ICE agents arrested Angel Almonte, a Dominican immigrant, and Jeury Concepcion, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen, in separate arrests in the Bronx. DHS said Concepcion was not arrested by ICE and that it does not arrest citizens by mistake, and government lawyers told a federal court that ICE positively identified Almonte through database checks before issuing his arrest warrant. On October 5, U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown ruled that the misidentification claims were baseless, that ICE issued an after-the-fact warrant containing false information, and that the officers gave false and misleading testimony. The question is whether ICE agents falsified records and testimony to justify the arrests.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
Federal court ruling on Angel Almonte's habeas petition, issued after a June 26, 2026 factual hearing at which the arresting ICE officers testified. Obtained from the CourtListener RECAP archive.
Reporting
About this source
CBS News New York report on Jeury Concepcion's detention on May 6, 2026, with his family's account and the Department of Homeland Security's statement.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Video of Concepcion's detention on Hull Avenue circulated online, and his family told CBS News New York that he needed stitches.
After the quotation
The statement said officers left the scene for their safety and Concepcion's after a crowd formed. The court's October 5 ruling described Concepcion's arrest as extremely violent.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether ICE agents falsified records and testimony to justify the arrests of Almonte and Concepcion. DHS says it is "NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake" and that "This individual was NOT arrested by ICE." That denies the account that agents arrested a U.S. citizen by mistake, so we labeled it Denied. The closest competing label is Defended or excused, which would fit a justification of how the agents treated Concepcion; the statement instead disputes that an arrest occurred.
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More from this case
Read the full caseScott Dworkin contrasts DHS's "NOT arrested by ICE" statement with the ruling
“Jeury Concepcion is a US citizen. He was walking to a barbershop. He left with stitches in his head and a government statement saying he "was NOT arrested by ICE." The judge's ruling says otherwise, by name.”Read statement
DHS says the Almonte ruling "will be litigated in court, not through the media"
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
“This matter will be litigated in court, not through the media.”Read statement
Federal judge finds ICE agents "falsified official records" in Bronx arrests
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
“The claims of misidentification here prove baseless, the arrests were procedurally deficient and legally invalid, and ICE agents falsified official records trying to conceal their illegal actions, which included significant injury to a U.S. citizen.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- DHS says it is "NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake" after Concepcion's detention
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5350-dhs-said-it-does-not-arrest-u-s
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "DHS says it is "NOT arresting U.S. citizens by mistake" after Concepcion's detention". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5350-dhs-said-it-does-not-arrest-u-s