LOS ANGELES () — Federal officials disputed a claim by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman that an employee of his office was “wrongfully detained” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“On Friday morning, Jan. 16, 2026, a member of our Office was wrongfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). I can thankfully report that, shortly after, our employee was released and is safe,” Hochman said in a written memo circulated at the district attorney’s office. “This incident is unacceptable. Our employee is a dedicated public servant who serves the people of Los Angeles County with professionalism and integrity. This troubling situation caused great distress to our colleague, our co-worker’s family, and our entire Office family.”
A spokesperson for the D.A.’s office declined to comment on the matter after being contacted by 7. The spokesperson referred 7 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Neither ICE nor CBP have any record of any employee of the LA County’s DA’s office being detained,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Any allegations our Law enforcement are engaging in racial profiling are FALSE and disgusting.”
In the memo, Hochman said he “personally reached out to our federal counterparts, among other authorities, to make them aware of this incident and to urge them to be more respectful of the rights of those who reside in our community and ensure this wrongful conduct does not occur again.”
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