Press freedom and civil liberties organizations sharply condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday after journalists, including amNewYork’s own Dean Moses, were shoved and injured by officers at Manhattan’s immigration court.
ICE officers shoved Moses, this paper’s police bureau chief, and an Associated Press freelancer, Olga Fedorova, on Tuesday as they documented the detention of an immigrant near an elevator on the 12th floor of 26 Federal Plaza. Turkey-based Anadolu Agency videographer L. Vural Elibol was hospitalized with what appeared to be a serious injury after falling during the scuffle.
Elibol told Reuters he was trying to film the migrant being taken into custody when “someone yanked me and threw me to the ground.” He was examined at a local hospital before being discharged with pain medicine.
The National Press Photographers Association called the incident “a blatant attack on press freedom” and demanded accountability.
“ICE must be held accountable for violating its own policy and for trampling on the First Amendment rights of these photographers,” said NPPA general counsel Mickey H. Osterreicher. “Anything less sends a chilling message to journalists everywhere.”
The NPPA called for a thorough investigation, accountability for the officers involved, and assurances that journalists can perform their duties safely without facing violence or retaliation.
ICE incident ‘part of alarming trend of attacks on press freedom’
PEN America described the episode as “part of an alarming trend of attacks on press freedom,” with program director Tim Richardson warning that it put both “journalists’ safety and the public’s right to information at serious risk.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union said ICE’s “brutal violence at 26 Federal Plaza is a deliberate assault on New York’s immigrant communities and the press.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, defended the officers on Tuesday, claiming they were “swarmed by agitators and members of the press” while attempting to arrest “an illegal alien from Peru.” She said Federal Plaza has been the site of multiple threats and assaults on law enforcement.
Moses rejected that account of Tuesday’s events. “No one intervened, no one stopped anything,” he said. “There were no agitators or any members of the press preventing them (the ICE agents) from doing anything.”
Civil liberties groups said the incident underscores the danger of unchecked federal enforcement actions.
“This abusive treatment of New Yorkers cannot continue or become normalized,” said Amy Belsher of the NYCLU. “The First Amendment gives the public and press the right to observe, document, and share information about ICE’s conduct — including their unlawful targeting of noncitizens showing up for mandated court hearings.”
Since May, amNewYork has reported extensively on the immigration crackdown at 26 Federal Plaza, including repeated attempts by ICE agents to intimidate journalists covering their enforcement actions.
In June, for instance, masked officers confronted members of the press inside the federal building, claiming an area just steps from the courtroom was “restricted” despite its proximity to a public elevator. Reporters said agents also photographed their press credentials with personal cellphones in what appeared to be an intimidation tactic.
In another instance, two masked officers surrounded an amNewYork journalist, snapped a mocking selfie with the reporter, and then laughed. That coverage prompted the Freedom of the Press Foundation to send letters of concern to federal authorities and the New York City mayor’s office.
Adam Rose, deputy director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said Tuesday’s incident reflects a broader pattern of threats to journalists across the country.
“We’ve seen reprehensible behavior by DHS agents against journalists in all three of America’s largest cities. There’s no reason to think it will stop there, so it’s critical that we refuse to normalize this,” he said.
“There is zero question: Attacking journalists is unlawful, unconstitutional, and un-American. It’s also wildly unpopular, with recent polling showing the vast majority of voters think Trump has gone too far in pressuring media companies,” Rose said. “Assaulting and arresting reporters — who are just doing their job — is far worse, and harms everyone regardless of their politics.”
He added that newsrooms need to ensure journalists receive hostile-environment and first-aid training, and that freelancers and students have the same protections as full-time staff.
“Sometimes it’s little things, like having a phone number written on your arm where you can reach a lawyer 24/7. Individual journalists like freelancers and even students deserve all the same rights, but they face the same risks and are often under-supported — they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to national or local press rights groups like Freedom of the Press Foundation,” Rose said.
He joined the calls for clear accountability and discipline for law enforcement. “Big picture, we need our elected officials and law enforcement leaders to make it clear this isn’t OK. We also need agencies to train their personnel and ensure they know this sort of thing is wrong.”
“They must stand up to their own colleagues and protect the law, not the bad actors in their own ranks. This sort of misconduct only tarnishes the badge and makes the job more dangerous for law enforcement. And, of course, we need real discipline with teeth — suspension, firing, or even criminal charges,” he said.
