DHS names 'worst of the worst' detainees after lawmakers demand their release, as protest prompts lockdown at NYC facility
Six detainees identified, including MS-13 members and others with drug, weapon and DUI convictions; 71 arrests reported during a sit-in on the facility's 10th floor
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday released the names of detainees the agency described as the 'worst of the worst' being held at the Federal Plaza in New York City, a day after security at the federal facility was tightened in response to demonstrators.
Demonstrators, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, staged a sit-in on the 10th floor on Thursday, demanding access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices and holding cells. DHS said officers had to lock and secure doors as protesters pressed to enter. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the sit-in disrupted operations and that Lander appeared 'unannounced' with participants and media, refusing to leave until detainees were released. The incident prompted a call to the New York Police Department, and 71 arrests were made, including Lander, two New York State Senators and nine New York Assembly Members.
DHS identified six detainees by name as part of a broader crackdown on criminal illegal aliens: Vladimir Kuca; David Abrego Alvarado; Juan Hernandez Saravia; Juan Enrique Pena Soriano; Asker Aslanovich Khutov; and Miguel Ramirez. The agency described the individuals as among the 'worst of the worst,' including MS-13 gang members and people convicted of illegal possession of weapons, drug trafficking and serial drunken driving offenses.
Vladimir Kuca, an Albanian national, illegally entered the United States in 2023 after a drug-trafficking conviction in Switzerland. He was delivered to ICE by the FBI on Thursday. David Abrego Alvarado and Juan Hernandez Saravia, both Salvadoran nationals, are identified as MS-13 members. Alvarado was removed from the United States in 2017 and reentered in 2023; he has a DWI conviction. Saravia has three DUIs and has two convictions for possession of a weapon, and was removed in 2007 with an unknown reentry date.
Juan Enrique Pena Soriano is a Dominican national who entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and was arrested by the DEA on a possession of a controlled substance charge before being turned over to ICE. Asker Aslanovich Khutov, a Russian national who overstayed a B-2 tourist visa, has a final removal order; he was convicted of criminal possession of stolen property. Miguel Ramirez, a Mexican national, entered the United States at an unknown date and was charged with restricted consumption and previously convicted of resisting arrest.
DHS said the detainees are held at the Federal Plaza in Manhattan as part of the department's ongoing efforts to remove violent offenders who entered or remained in the United States illegally. The department did not immediately offer additional interviews beyond the Friday release of the names. The incident on the 10th floor underscores ongoing political and public pressures around ICE operations, including access to detention facilities and coordination with lawmakers.
