Israeli Citizen Detained After Anti-Israel Protest in New York

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Yehonatan Ovadia, an Israeli citizen and religious teacher, in August 2026. The detention followed the May 2026 revocation of Ovadia's legal status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which cited police records as adverse factors.

Ovadia, a member of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic community, participated in a November 2023 protest against an Israeli flag at the Ramapo town hall in Rockland County, New York. Although Ovadia pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine in early 2024, he denies stealing the flag during the event.

Lawyers for Ovadia filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal District Court on August 29, alleging the Trump administration is retaliating against protected religious and political speech by conflating anti-Israel activism with antisemitism. The Department of Homeland Security defended the revocation, stating the administration is exercising its authority regarding noncitizens who steal property or advocate for violence. Ovadia is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.