Several demonstrators were arrested on Friday outside New York City's 26 Federal Plaza government building during a protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). The protesters accused Ice of operating a covert detention facility at the federal courthouse, according to multiple reports.
The protest, organized by grassroots movement 50501, saw demonstrators march to the largest federal immigration courthouse in Manhattan, chanting slogans such as 'No fear, no hate, no Ice in our state!' They demanded access to the site, which was denied, and later held a sit-in outside the courthouse. Within minutes, New York City police arrested about 15 protesters for disorderly conduct, according to Hunter Dunn, press coordinator for 50501.
Demonstrators allege that detainees are being held in overcrowded conditions without basic amenities or legal access on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza. Ice denies detaining people there. Last month, footage from inside the building, shared by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), showed two dozen men in bare rooms, some lying on the floor with emergency blankets.
Jeffrey Courter, chair of the justice ministries committee of the Presbytery of New York City, told ABC7: 'Just to be a presence, we’re here to say that the American people are opposed to these kinds of policies. And for Ice agents, maybe that will lead some of them to reconsider their career choice.' Authorities insist the facility is only a processing center.
Lawmakers have been denied access to the site. In June, city comptroller Brad Lander was arrested while escorting an immigrant from a hearing. Friday's protest was one of several in the city this week, with groups including 50501, NYIC, and faith-based organizations participating.
Courthouse detentions have become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which aims to arrest 3,000 people daily. Reports from cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and El Paso describe routine court appearances devolving into tense encounters. A newly filed class-action lawsuit seeks to ban Ice arrests at immigration courthouses.
