ICE agents apprehended more distraught immigrants at multiple Lower Manhattan courthouses on Tuesday as a coalition of legal groups demanded that a federal judge dismiss a Trump administration lawsuit seeking to bypass New York’s immigrant protections.
Both 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway saw a small army of masked federal agents target men and women attending their legally mandated immigration hearings. One woman was left cupping her hand to her face and welling up with tears as a group of feds swept her away on the 12th floor of 26 Federal Plaza.
Across the street, on the 15th floor of 290 Broadway, a man was approached by multiple masked men and pulled out of sight. “Not another one,” one worker said while they pushed a cleaning cart and watched the detainment. “This is f**king sick.”
These were but two of several detainments that took place on Aug. 12, one day after ten people were arrested blocking traffic outside of the facility in protest of ICE’s continued presence at court.
The latest arrests come as a slew of legal defense groups, including The Legal Aid Society, The Immigrant Defense Project, Sanctuary for Families, New York County Defender Services, and more announced that they made a filing arguing that the Big Apple has authority to govern its own institutions.
The document — known as an amicus brief (friend of the court) — states that the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging New York’s Protect Our Courts Act, which aims to limit ICE interactions in courthouses, should be dismissed.
“These laws were enacted during the first Trump Administration in direct response to ICE’s predatory presence at New York state courthouses and other state facilities, which spread fear, and denied New Yorkers’ access to the courts, and to state programs, benefits, and services,” said Meghna Philip, director of the Special Litigation Unit at The Legal Aid Society said. “New York has a constitutional duty to ensure equal access to justice, and to benefits and services, for all New Yorkers — regardless of immigration status — and that principle was at the heart of both POCA and these executive orders.”
For more than three months, amNewYork has documented the ramping up of enforcement by federal authorities inside immigration court and its effect on both attendees and workers.
Over the weeks and months, employees at Federal Plaza have told amNewYork on the condition of anonymity that working there has become a living hell.
Some immigrants due to appear in court at Federal Plaza have also tried to skip their hearing to avoid a possible arrest — with ICE’s actions essentially defeating the purpose of the court-mandating hearing.
”When ICE targets courthouses, it silences victims, scares witnesses, and keeps our community from seeking justice or vital services,” said Rex Chen, supervising counsel for Immigrant Rights, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “These protections are critical to keeping all New Yorkers safe. The Justice Department is sacrificing public safety just to score points by attacking immigrants. Not only is this wrong-headed, our legal brief explains why it is illegal. LatinoJustice will continue to work to ensure the rights of our communities are safeguarded.”
