Several protesters were arrested on Friday outside the federal immigration courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, following a demonstration against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). The protesters accused Ice of operating a covert detention facility at the site, which authorities deny.
The demonstration, organised by grassroots movement 50501 along with the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and faith-based groups, began with a march and chanting outside the building. Demonstrators demanded access to the courthouse, which was refused, and later held a sit-in. Within minutes, New York City police arrested about 15 protesters for disorderly conduct, according to Hunter Dunn, press coordinator for 50501.
Protesters allege that detainees are held in overcrowded conditions on the 10th floor of the building, lacking basic amenities and legal access. Footage shared by NYIC last month showed two dozen men in bare rooms, some lying on the floor with emergency blankets. Ice denies detaining people at the site, insisting it is only a processing centre.
Lawmakers have been denied access to the facility. In June, city comptroller Brad Lander was arrested while escorting an immigrant from a hearing. The practice of detaining immigrants after court proceedings has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, which aims to arrest 3,000 people daily. A class-action lawsuit has been filed to ban such arrests at immigration courthouses.
