The fire chief in Long Island’s largest Latino community allegedly stormed into a local lawmaker’s office and dared his staff to “call ICE” — days after the pol accused him of aiding migrant crackdowns.
Democratic state Assemblyman Phil Ramos apparently sparked the showdown when he accused Brentwood’s fire officials last week of aiding the feds in their local immigration raids, with ICE spotted setting up a makeshift base in the parking lot of one of the department’s fire stations.
Ramos’ public chastising then allegedly led Brentwood Fire Chief Bryant Figueroa to storm the politician’s office Thursday night.
The pol said Figueroa was “trespassing” and trying to intimidate him by barging into his private office uninvited and daring staff to call law enforcement and the feds as they tried to stop him.
“Chief Bryant Figueroa stormed into my office unannounced, ignoring repeated instructions from my staff not to go beyond the public space — instead, he trespassed and entered my private office,” Ramos said in a statement.
“When asked to leave and told again that he was not allowed in that part of the office, he responded defiantly with the words: ‘Then call the police. Call ICE.’ ”
Ramos said Figueroa “forcibly entered” his private office and slammed an envelope on his desk containing the department’s revocation of the lawmaker’s honorary “chief” title along with notice that his name will be removed from the walls of the East Brentwood Fire House in Suffolk County.
“Rather than standing with us during a difficult time, your words and actions have fueled public mistrust and endangered the safety and reputation of those who serve selflessly and without political motive,” said the fire chief’s letter, which was obtained by The Post.
“We expect our community leaders, especially those we have honored with the title of Honorary Chief, to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in times of crisis and controversy–not to cast blame or sow division. Your recent conduct does not reflect the values we uphold or the brotherhood and sisterhood we share in the fire service.”
Brentwood Fire did not respond to a request for comment on the chief’s alleged storming of Ramos’ office.
The department previously denied any knowledge or allowance of ICE’s operations to take place in its parking lot. A now-viral video shows masked agents and unmarked cars recently setting up shop at the fire house.
Despite the department’s and firefighters’ denial, Ramos has remained unconvinced and insisted that leaders such as Figueroa gave ICE the green light to operate out of the parking lot.
Just days before the chief’s alleged office storming, Ramos led a protest outside the fire house that ICE was spotted at.
Ramos, a former police officer who once sued his own department for civil-rights violations, said the fire department’s leadership is “out of touch with the diverse community it serves” — and accused Figueroa of crossing the line from professional disagreement into personal retaliation.
He’s now calling for accountability and warning that the fight is far from over.
“I will not be intimidated, I will not be silenced, nor will our community stand for gestapo-like tactics from a fire department that is in urgent need of volunteers,” Ramos said. “I’ll continue to stand up for my community and shine the light of justice wherever it may lead.”
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