New York Police Department (NYPD) detectives were reportedly told they should leave a hospital when staff mistook them for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The plainclothes officers arrived Friday at NYU Langone Health in Cobble Hill Friday after a drug suspect spat on them during a narcotics investigation in Brooklyn North, the New York Post reported, citing the NYPD. The agency said staff told the detectives they could not go into the ER with their service firearms, prompting one officer to hold onto the weapon while his companion received care. Staff reportedly approached the second officer and demanded he leave because of the weapon, sparking a dispute the officer receiving care intervened in.
“And then at that point the two detectives heard members of the hospital staff say something to the effect of believing that they were ICE and that they should receive care elsewhere,” the NYPD said.
A source familiar also told the Post that staff were rude to the officers, alleged they were ICE officers and claimed they should get medical care elsewhere. The officers had properly identified themselves as NYPD, another source told the outlet. (RELATED: ‘Not Making Any Payments’: Trump Declares He’s Cutting Off Funds To Sanctuary Cities)
NYU Health said they “expressed their regret” over the handling of the matter to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and said no one was denied medical treatment in a statement to the Daily Caller. “We provided care to the injured officer, who was asked to temporarily secure his weapon, as per our policy. The other two officers were allowed to keep their weapons. NYU Langone always values the opportunity to provide care to members of law enforcement,” the statement continued.
An NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital that hospital representatives apologized to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Staff had a “misunderstanding of their policy,” the spokesperson said. Tisch requested that all hospital employees undergo retraining to prevent similar incidents.
The NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA) called the alleged treatment an outrage in an X post.
“No one—especially Detectives injured in the line of duty—should face such treatment,” the union said. The group said it would pursue “all available remedies” on behalf of its members.
Last week, two NYPD Detectives were mistreated while seeking medical attention at NYU Langone – Cobble Hill Emergency Room after being injured on duty during the arrest of a violent perpetrator. Upon arrival, they were met with rudeness, disrespect, and a lack of basic… pic.twitter.com/HHkNR9Mm71
— Detectives’ Endowment Association (@NYCPDDEA) January 21, 2026
The incident occurred while thousands of nurses across the city were on strike, Fox News reported. Former Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a retired NYPD captain, condemned the hospital and called on Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to hold it accountable.
“A hospital that politicizes emergency care is no longer a hospital. It’s an activist institution pretending to practice medicine,” Adams wrote on X. “These NYPD officers put their lives on the line. Medical staff are sworn to treat the injured, not pass political judgment.”
NYU Langone told Fox News Digital it expressed regret to Tisch for how staff handled the situation. The hospital noted it provided care to nearly 1,000 NYPD officers in 2025. A representative reportedly did not confirm or deny that staff referenced ICE.
Under New York City’s sanctuary policies, ICE agents cannot enter hospitals without a judicial warrant, ABC7 reported. Federal agents often wear tactical gear labeled “Police” without displaying badges, according to the outlet.
Editor’s note: Article updated to clarify the sequence of events as reported and add NYU Langone’s statement.