ICE's Knock on Brooklyn Door Sparks Traumatic Nightmare for Immigrant Couple.
A harrowing scene unfolded in a Brooklyn apartment last summer when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers entered an Armenian immigrant couple's home without a judicial warrant or consent, sparking a traumatic nightmare that continues to unfold. Hayk Safaryan, 44, was arrested on charges of grand larceny after accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home renovation project without completing the work.
According to his wife Léah Lazonick, Safaryan was simply sitting at his computer and eating breakfast when the officers knocked on the door. They entered unannounced, with "a heavily armed SWAT team" storming inside, detaining him in the process. The officers then confiscated his identification documents, including his driver's license, passport, and social security card.
Lazonick was awoken during this ordeal, written that she found herself face-to-face with a woman in a bulletproof vest who pointed a huge weapon at her in an aggressive manner, yelling for her to return to the bedroom and close the door. When she eventually opened the door again, Lazonick's questions about the officers' presence went unanswered.
The couple has been separated since Safaryan's arrest six months ago, with ICE holding him in detention while he awaits a court hearing on the grand larceny charge. Lazonick fears that her husband will be evicted from their apartment if he is not released from custody soon.
This incident highlights the growing controversy surrounding immigration enforcement practices under the Trump administration. Critics argue that officers are entering homes and private areas without judicial warrants, violating constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
A federal lawsuit challenging Safaryan's arrest has been filed, claiming that ICE acted unconstitutionally by failing to obtain a warrant before entering his home. Advocacy groups, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, have denounced such practices, saying they threaten all constitutional rights.
As lawmakers push for reforms in Congress and state legislatures, the debate over immigration enforcement continues to unfold. The case of Hayk Safaryan serves as a stark reminder of the human impact of these policies and highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from law enforcement agencies.
A harrowing scene unfolded in a Brooklyn apartment last summer when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers entered an Armenian immigrant couple's home without a judicial warrant or consent, sparking a traumatic nightmare that continues to unfold. Hayk Safaryan, 44, was arrested on charges of grand larceny after accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars for a home renovation project without completing the work.
According to his wife Léah Lazonick, Safaryan was simply sitting at his computer and eating breakfast when the officers knocked on the door. They entered unannounced, with "a heavily armed SWAT team" storming inside, detaining him in the process. The officers then confiscated his identification documents, including his driver's license, passport, and social security card.
Lazonick was awoken during this ordeal, written that she found herself face-to-face with a woman in a bulletproof vest who pointed a huge weapon at her in an aggressive manner, yelling for her to return to the bedroom and close the door. When she eventually opened the door again, Lazonick's questions about the officers' presence went unanswered.
The couple has been separated since Safaryan's arrest six months ago, with ICE holding him in detention while he awaits a court hearing on the grand larceny charge. Lazonick fears that her husband will be evicted from their apartment if he is not released from custody soon.
This incident highlights the growing controversy surrounding immigration enforcement practices under the Trump administration. Critics argue that officers are entering homes and private areas without judicial warrants, violating constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
A federal lawsuit challenging Safaryan's arrest has been filed, claiming that ICE acted unconstitutionally by failing to obtain a warrant before entering his home. Advocacy groups, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, have denounced such practices, saying they threaten all constitutional rights.
As lawmakers push for reforms in Congress and state legislatures, the debate over immigration enforcement continues to unfold. The case of Hayk Safaryan serves as a stark reminder of the human impact of these policies and highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from law enforcement agencies.
they sound super scary for anyone who's not even doing anything wrong... I mean i get it we have to follow laws and stuff but can't we just have a calm way of doing it? like a door knock and an invite or something 
my grandma would freak out in this situation lol
does he have to leave his house all the time because of that? or can he just stay inside with the AC on? 
idk what's going on but this whole thing sounds like a total nightmare 
. This guy was caught red-handed (literally!) stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients and now he's getting a taste of what that looks like in real life 
. The fact that Léah was awakened during this whole ordeal and had to deal with an aggressive cop is unfortunate, but it's not the end of the world 
. If anything, it shows she's a strong woman who can handle herself 
. And as for the lawsuit claiming ICE acted unconstitutionally... come on, people are just trying to find loopholes to get their fellow crooks out of trouble 
. The real issue is that there are some folks breaking the law and then expecting everyone else to bail them out 
.
! ICE agents entering homes without warrants is just not right 
. I mean, what's next? Showing up at people's doors unannounced with guns drawn? 
It's like something out of a movie, but in real life, it's devastating for families 
. We need to get our government to figure out better ways to deal with immigration issues 
. This isn't about being soft on crime; it's about respecting people's rights and treating them like human beings 
.
it's not just about Hayk or Léah, it's about the entire system that allows this to happen. and yeah, I get why they wanna be tough on immigration, but come on, can't we find a way to do it without ripping families apart like this? 
wouldn't that be pretty traumatic? 
and yet, Léah was faced with that scenario, and now she's living in constant fear because her husband might be held captive indefinitely. it's just not right.
and now this poor Armenian couple's lives are RUINED 
It's like something out of a movie, but it's real life for this poor Armenian immigrant couple. The fact that his wife had to face a heavily armed officer with a huge gun pointed at her head is just terrifying 
It's all about how these things are happening everywhere and people are really suffering as a result. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for updates on this case. We need to get to the bottom of these ICE practices and make sure everyone is treated fairly and with respect