In a dramatic scene in New York City, about a dozen state and local Democratic politicians were arrested while protesting conditions at a federal immigration jail in Manhattan. The arrests happened on Thursday inside 26 Federal Plaza, a large government building where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates holding cells.
Politicians Taken Into Custody During Protest
Among those taken into custody were New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and 10 state lawmakers. The group of politicians tried to reach the 10th-floor detention facility, but security blocked their entry. Their aim, according to protest organizers, was to inspect the cells and ensure ICE was following a court order that demanded better treatment of detainees.
Outside the building, another protest unfolded. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams led a group of several dozen anti-ICE demonstrators. They blocked the building’s garage entrance, sat on the pavement, held signs, and chanted, “Immigrants are welcome here.” Organizers later said more than 75 people in total were arrested at both protests. The Department of Homeland Security, however, put the number at 71.
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This mass arrest of politicians and protesters highlighted the growing clash between federal immigration authorities and local Democratic leaders who have long opposed the immigration policies under former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Court Order Cites Disturbing Conditions Inside Facility
The protests took place just one day after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against ICE. The court ordered immediate changes in how detainees were treated inside the Manhattan lockup.
The 84-page ruling described shocking details about life inside the facility. Reports said that up to 90 detainees were packed into a room measuring only 20 square meters, which is about 215 square feet. Many detainees had no beds and were forced to sleep on the cold concrete floor. In some cases, there was not even enough room to lie down.
The order also noted that detainees were unable to shower, bathe, or keep themselves clean. They were not provided with basic hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes, sanitary napkins, or even toilet paper. Clothing was not changed regularly, and detainees were left in extremely unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.
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The court said these practices violated basic human rights and could not continue. Harold Solis, co-legal director of Make the Road New York, called the situation “deeply disturbing” and noted that the judge made it clear that keeping people under such inhumane conditions was also illegal.
However, federal officials defended the lockup. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, explained that the detainees at 26 Federal Plaza were not ordinary immigrants. She said many were facing deportation after being convicted of crimes such as weapons offenses, drug trafficking, and one individual accused of flying drones near the White House several times.
Escalation as Politicians Clash With Federal Officers
Inside the building, tensions rose quickly. McLaughlin said that Comptroller Brad Lander arrived with “agitators and media” and disrupted the normal functioning of the federal office. According to her account, Lander shouted that he would not leave until detainees were released.
The standoff grew louder, and both New York Police Department officers and federal agents intervened. They arrested multiple people, including the politicians who had entered the building for what they described as an oversight visit. McLaughlin said the chaos created by the group forced the building into lockdown after someone called in a bomb threat. Officials did not confirm whether the threat was related to the protest.
This was not the first confrontation between Democratic politicians and immigration enforcement in the region. In June, Brad Lander had already been detained at the same building during another protest. And in May, Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka were arrested outside a New Jersey detention center while protesting ICE operations there.
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On Thursday, among those arrested were three state senators and seven members of the state assembly. They said they wanted to review the 10th-floor holding cells after the judge’s order. Protest organizers stressed that the politicians were there to conduct oversight, not to provoke confrontation.
The New York Police Department later confirmed that multiple arrests had been made at 26 Federal Plaza. But neither the police, the Department of Homeland Security, nor protest organizers said whether any formal charges were filed against the arrested politicians or the other demonstrators.
