Wife Of Well-Known Immigration Activist Shares Update On His Detention

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The wife of a well-known immigration activist who has been in custody since his controversial detention two weeks ago shared an update on his status Saturday.

"On the 10^th floor of this building right behind us, my husband Ravi was taken away," Amy Gottlieb told a crowd gathered in front of the Jacob Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan.

Gottlieb said her husband, Ravi Ragbir, is back in New York State at a facility in Goshen, after being whisked away to Miami for a brief time.

"I cry every day. I go home to an empty apartment," she said. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Ragbir into custody on January 11 during what was supposed to be a routine check-in. His detention sparked a large protest, which ended with the arrest of two City Council members.

Democratic Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez believes Ragbir was targeted because of his outspoken stance on immigration.

"Our government is saying we will separate you from your family if you don't sit down and shut up," she said Saturday.

Ragbir's legal status in the country was stripped away in 2006, because of a past conviction.

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• Immigration