After Nathaniel Rojas, the romantic companion of a top-ranking Adams administration official, was detained by ICE final month, President Trump’s administration stated it was taking the drastic step of attempting to revoke his inexperienced card and deport him to his native Dominican Republic due to a legal report.
Trump officers, whose aggressive immigration crackdown has focused each documented and undocumented people, offered few particulars about Rojas’ legal or private historical past.
Rojas’ detention is a probably thorny scenario for Mayor Adams. The Trump administration quashed Adams’ corruption indictment this spring with the understanding that the dismissal would allow the mayor — who deserted his reelection bid on Sunday — to help extra within the president’s immigration crackdown.
As well, the revelation that an worker of a city-run hospital has landed within the crosshairs of Trump’s crackdown comes as sources say the mayor’s crew has been in talks about Adams probably becoming a member of Trump’s administration as soon as his time period is over. Adams didn’t say Sunday what his subsequent skilled transfer might be as soon as his time period ends Jan. 1.
In a Bronx Supreme Court docket lawsuit filed in August 2024 in opposition to Rojas and Garcia, the brother, Eddy Fermin Rojas, alleged they cast his signature on the acquisition of a Mercedes-Benz and racked up tens of 1000’s in tolls billed to him. The brother additionally reported the incident to the NYPD, although no expenses have been filed in that case.
Regardless of the legal convictions and the 2024 lawsuit, Rojas received a managerial job in March 2025 on the Bronx’s metropolis government-funded Lincoln Hospital in a task that offered him entry to affected person info, based on two sources instantly aware of the matter. It’s not clear if Rojas was nonetheless working on the dealership when he received the hospital job.
State regulation holds employers can deny an individual employment if their legal historical past is related to the duties of the job for which they’re making use of.
The 2 Lincoln sources aware of his employment stated Rojas, in his job because the hospital’s director of affected person relations, has had entry to non-public info for sufferers and employees, together with residence addresses, regardless of his legal report. The sources stated Rojas’ information entry has raised considerations amongst hospital staff since his detention.
Underneath the state’s Honest Likelihood Act, New Yorkers can’t be denied work solely due to a legal report. Nonetheless, an individual’s software might be denied beneath that regulation if there’s a “direct relationship” between previous crimes and the possible job, per town Human Rights Fee.
Nathaniel Rojas (far left) and Lincoln CEO Cristina Contreras (third from proper). (Lincoln Hospital)
The ties between Garcia and Lincoln Hospital’s CEO, Cristina Contreras, predate Rojas’ rent.
Well being + Hospitals spokesman Christopher Miller solely confirmed Rojas’ employment afterward. When requested if Contreras had something to do with Rojas’ rent, Miller stated, “I don’t have any additional insight here.”
Miller did say Rojas utilized for the Lincoln job through “regular channels” and was “topic to straightforward background checks together with fingerprinting. He declined to debate the outcomes of Rojas’ background test.
Miller famous legal convictions don’t “necessarily disqualify” candidates from “consideration or eventual hire.” He wouldn’t say how a lot Rojas is being paid or in any other case reply detailed questions on his job, however Lincoln sources stated his place was marketed with a wage between $80,000 and $120,000, a variety that corresponds along with his predecessor’s wage, payroll information present.
Garcia and Rojas’ legal professional, Rueben Kerben, haven’t returned requests for remark this month. Contreras didn’t return a request for remark, both.
Wendy Garcia, left, and Lincoln CEO Cristina Contreras.
Since his detention, Rojas has remained held at an Orange County jail, information present. Kerben has filed a habeas petition in Manhattan Federal Court docket that is still pending. A Manhattan Federal Court docket decide has ordered Rojas to not be faraway from the jurisdiction till the petition is adjudicated, information present.
Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak stated earlier this month that administration officers have been in touch with Rojas’ family members amid his detention. Mamelak and different Adams reps have in any other case declined to reply questions on Rojas and Garcia, saying they have been “not weighing in here based on legal advice and feedback from immigration advocates.”
As mayor, Adams holds giant sway over the Well being + Hospitals system, together with by nominating its CEO and board of administrators.
Garcia, who’s the DOC’s deputy commissioner of improvement and development, has identified political connections. She was an intern for Manhattan Congressman Adriano Espaillat and beforehand married to the brother of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez — each key supporters of Adams. Garcia was additionally an NYPD deputy commissioner, starting in 2022, earlier than shifting to Correction in February amid fallout from the scandal involving ex-Chief of Division Jeffrey Maddrey.
On Sept. 4, 2017, Rojas was arrested for grand larceny after a buyer at Manhattan Jeep on eleventh Ave. close to W. forty eighth St. in Manhattan complained Rojas, then a salesman on the dealership, used her bank card after swiping it from her purse, information present.. Rojas pleaded responsible and was sentenced to 45 days on Rikers Island, the information present.
The Correction Division didn’t reply when requested what number of days Rojas truly served in jail.
On Aug. 31, 2017, additionally whereas working on the dealership, Rojas was arrested on a cost of grand larceny, identification theft and forgery for utilizing a buyer’s private info to illegally lease a automobile. The shopper informed cops she purchased a Fiat from the dealership in August 2017 and gave Rojas her private info, together with her social safety quantity, the information present.
Rojas then used the shopper’s title to lease a black Jeep and cast her signature to the lease, the information present. An NYPD officer verified the shopper’s signature on the lease differed from her signature on her driver’s license, based on the information.
Rojas pleaded responsible and was sentenced to a conditional discharge and neighborhood service, the information present.
Rojas was additionally arrested Might 7, 2017 after being pulled over within the East Village, information present. He was charged with aggravated driving whereas intoxicated with a baby passenger after an arresting officer alleged Rojas had alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and was unsteady on his toes.
He pleaded responsible in that case, too, and was sentenced to neighborhood service, revocation of his license, fines, probation and the requirement an ignition interlock system be positioned on his automobile, information present.
Initially Printed: September 30, 2025 at 4:33 PM EDT
