News of activist’s detention leads to NYC supporter arrests

New York City police have arrested 18 people, including two councilmen, in protests over the detention of a prominent immigration activist. The demonstrations outside a federal building in Manhattan were over the detention of Ravi Ragbir (RAH’-vee RAHG’beer), a citizen of Trinidad who has been fighting deportation after a fraud conviction.

His lawyer, Alina Das, says Ragbir was handcuffed Thursday during a scheduled check-in with immigration officials. Federal officials did not immediately answer questions about his status.

Police arrested demonstrators who sat in the street and blocked an ambulance, thinking Ragbir was inside. City Councilmen Ydanis Rodriguez and Jumanne Williams, both Democrats, were among those arrested.