New York Officials Arrested During Protest Against ICE Conditions

A protest at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Manhattan resulted in the arrest of eleven New York state and local elected officials on March 15, 2024. Among those taken into custody were New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and ten state lawmakers who attempted to inspect the holding cells cited by a federal judge for inhumane conditions. The officials were denied entry to the 10th-floor detention area located at 26 Federal Plaza.

The protesters aimed to “ensure compliance” with a recent court order requiring ICE to improve conditions in the facility. This order comes in response to reports detailing overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, with as many as 90 detainees crammed into a 20-square-meter room, often forced to sleep on concrete floors without basic hygiene supplies.

In a separate gathering, New York City’s Public Advocate Jumaane Williams led a group of demonstrators who blocked the building’s garage entrance. They chanted slogans such as, “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.” According to protest organizers, more than 75 individuals were detained by city police and federal agents during both events. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for ICE’s parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reported a total of 71 arrests.

The incident reflects ongoing tensions between federal authorities and Democratic politicians who oppose current immigration policies. Lander previously faced arrest in June 2023 at the same location while escorting a man targeted by ICE for deportation. In another incident, Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka were arrested during a protest outside an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey.

According to McLaughlin, Lander’s actions during the recent protest included obstructing law enforcement and inciting chaos within the building. She stated, “He yelled inside the building that he was ‘not leaving’ until detainees were ‘released.'” Following the disturbance, the building was placed under lockdown due to a bomb threat.

Organizers of the protest indicated that the officials were there to conduct oversight of the detention facility, just a day after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring improvements. The 84-page court order highlighted severe complaints about the conditions, including a lack of access to bathing facilities and basic hygiene items.

Legal director of Make the Road New York, Harold Solis, condemned the treatment of detainees, stating, “The cruel policy of subjecting individuals to degrading treatment and inhumane conditions is deeply disturbing. And now the court has made it abundantly clear that it is also illegal.”

While the New York Police Department confirmed multiple arrests at the protest, no specific charges have been mentioned by the police, DHS, or protest organizers. The situation continues to unfold as officials and advocates push for significant changes in immigration detention policies.