Eight people were arrested Saturday night after an anti-ICE protest outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood turned disorderly, police said. Officers responded around 10:30 p.m. to reports of crowds blocking traffic and emergency entrances following reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at the hospital.

The incident stemmed from ICE's arrest earlier that evening of Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian national who entered the United States on a tourist visa in August 2023 and overstayed it after February 2024. The Department of Homeland Security said Okeke refused orders to exit his vehicle during a targeted enforcement operation, attempted to strike agents with the car, and became physically combative by trying to punch and elbow them. Agents used minimum force to take him into custody, after which he requested medical attention and was transported to the hospital for evaluation. There, Okeke refused to cooperate with the staff, threw himself on the floor, and screamed before being cleared.

Up to 200 protesters, including activists who track ICE movements via social media, gathered outside the facility around 10:25 p.m., blocking exits and entrances. Demonstrators threw garbage cans into the street, punched windows on ICE and NYPD vehicles, and assaulted officers, causing minor injuries and property damage. Videos captured federal agents dragging the handcuffed Okeke down stairs around 2 a.m. Sunday, the NYPD held back the crowd before agents departed.

NYPD officers issued repeated warnings to disperse, but arrested eight people after the crowd ignored commands during the hours-long standoff. Charges included resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief. Those taken into custody included Sharon Fresystaetter, who threw trash into traffic; Chloe Sells, accused of damaging an NYPD car window and placing a used sanitary pad on it; and Jennifer Hansen, who smashed an ICE vehicle window. A ninth person received a summons. The department emphasized it had no prior coordination with ICE, in line with New York City's sanctuary policies.

DHS noted Okeke's prior arrests for assault and drug possession and condemned the protesters' actions as felonious assaults on law enforcement. City Councilmember Sandy Nurse, who was present, said neighbors gathered to prevent the detainee's removal. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso criticized ICE's presence as inhumane and unwelcome.

Some arraignments occurred on Sunday, with one judge offering dismissal to Fresystaetter if she stays out of trouble for six months.