A federal judge in New York has prohibited US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from detaining immigrants at or near three federal courthouses in lower Manhattan, where confrontations have escalated since the start of Donald Trump's second presidency.
Under an order issued on Monday by US District Judge P Kevin Castel, federal agents are barred from making arrests at immigration court sites except under extraordinary circumstances. The ruling applies to immigration courts at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway, but does not extend nationwide.
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road NY, and other advocacy groups. Amy Belsher of the ACLU hailed the ruling as "an enormous win for noncitizen New Yorkers seeking to safely attend their immigration court proceedings."
In a 15-page order, Castel acknowledged the government's strong interest in enforcing immigration laws but emphasized the critical need for individuals to attend removal proceedings and pursue asylum claims without fear of arrest. He noted that federal agents retain the authority to detain individuals away from courthouses and may still make arrests at immigration courts when there is a serious public safety threat.
The lower Manhattan federal buildings, particularly 26 Federal Plaza where ICE maintains an office, have been sites of immigrant arrests, protests, and standoffs between agents and demonstrators, including the detention of local elected officials.
Castel ruled that boundaries set in a federal policy from April 2021 regarding enforcement actions inside courthouses could remain in effect. He also indicated that the case would likely lead to a finding that the second Trump administration's withdrawal of that policy was "arbitrary and capricious."
The judge had initially allowed arrests at Manhattan immigration courts in September, but he noted that government attorneys recently reversed their position, acknowledging that 2025 policies set by the Trump administration regarding courthouse arrests did not apply to immigration courts. He stated that this reversal necessitated correcting "a clear error and prevent a manifest injustice."
Castel wrote that federal prosecutors apologized in March for a "material mistaken statement of fact" made to the court. The Trump administration attributed the error to "agency attorney error," withdrawing portions of four briefs and statements made during oral argument.
Monday's ruling follows highly publicized tensions between protesters and federal immigration authorities in cities such as Los Angeles and Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, widespread street protests erupted after federal agents fatally shot two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in separate incidents in January. Polling after those killings indicated that most Americans believed immigration agents had overstepped with their tactics, leading to agency leadership changes as midterm elections approached.
Groups involved in the legal action, including African Communities Together and the Door, argued that arrests at federal immigration locations were "profoundly unfair" and undermined the rule of law and the integrity of immigration courts. Beth Baltimore of the Door said the judge's decision "brings us hope" and noted that the group continues to support members who were terrified to attend required court appearances.
