ICE Agent Who Bit Wife During Domestic Violence Incident Remains DHS Employee (SCOOP)

Dude bit his wife, lied about it, but remains employed in Kristi Noem's DHS.

WASHINGTON — ICE agent Mayowa Bonojo remains employed by the Department of Homeland Security in a non-law enforcement capacity following a domestic violence incident in which he bit his wife during a physical altercation, according to Merit Systems Protection Board documents obtained by Migrant Insider.

The August 2024 final order reveals Bonojo was originally slated for removal after the agency sustained charges of “conduct unbecoming a law enforcement officer” and “lack of candor.” However, the penalty was mitigated to reassignment to a non-enforcement position—meaning the officer who admitted to biting his wife during an off-duty incident continues to draw a federal paycheck at DHS.

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The Incident

During the domestic altercation, Bonojo—a trained law enforcement officer carrying a firearm—bit his wife’s upper arm with sufficient force to leave visible marks documented in police photographs. According to oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in January 2025, Bonojo claimed self-defense, arguing his wife was “pulling on his waistband” where his service weapon was holstered.

When judges pressed his attorney to explain the physical logistics of how someone pulls on a waistband while being bitten on the upper bicep, counsel Howard Zakai admitted: “The record does not speak to that.”

Court records show Bonojo (5’9”, 190 lbs) and his wife (5’8”, 160 lbs) are similar in size—undercutting any suggestion of dramatic physical disparity.

The Cover-Up

Beyond the violence itself, Bonojo was charged with lack of candor after initially telling his supervisor “my wife bit herself”—a lie he maintained until confronted with evidence. The Merit Systems Protection Board found this dishonesty separately warranted discipline, noting that “lack of candor strikes at the very heart of the employer-employee relationship.”

His attorney later argued that Bonojo’s Fifth Amendment rights were violated because he wasn’t given Miranda-like warnings before being questioned by supervisors. The government countered there is “no right to lie, period”—even without such warnings.

Still on the Payroll

Despite sustained findings of domestic violence and dishonesty, Bonojo was not terminated. Instead, he was reassigned to a “non-law enforcement officer position” within DHS—the same agency responsible for enforcing immigration law and conducting investigations that require credible witness testimony.

The Board’s decision creates a troubling precedent: a federal law enforcement officer can commit domestic violence, lie about it to supervisors, and retain federal employment in a different capacity.

Broader Implications

This case raises critical questions about accountability within immigration enforcement agencies. ICE officers wield extraordinary power over vulnerable populations—conducting arrests, interrogations, and deportations that tear families apart. Yet when one of their own commits violence against his own family member and lies about it, the consequence is merely a job transfer.

The Merit Systems Protection Board found that Bonojo’s conduct “undermine[d] his ability to perform his duties as a law enforcement officer and adversely impacted the mission of the agency.” If that’s true, why does he remain employed by that same agency in any capacity?

For immigrant communities already facing an unprecedented enforcement surge, this case underscores a persistent double standard: ICE demands absolute compliance from migrants while tolerating violence and dishonesty within its own ranks.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments in this case on January 9, 2025. A decision is pending.