Federal trial reveals ICE knew about 'insane' crowding in NYC holding cells

Lawyers Unveil New Disturbing Details of Overcrowding at 26 Federal Plaza

In a high-profile court case challenging conditions for immigrant New Yorkers being detained at 26 Federal Plaza, plaintiffs called the overcrowding at 26 Federal Plaza’s detention rooms a “self-made crisis.”  Plaintiffs alleged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials continued to pack too many people into small, desolate holding cells after a court order required them to clamp down on detentions. They also alleged that ICE obfu…

ICE agents privately admit to horrific conditions in Manhattan facility: report

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents privately admitted to each other how horrific the conditions were in their section of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, Courthouse News reported on Wednesday — including the proliferation of dangerous diseases in the facility."At the height of ICE’s immi...

Judge Raises Shutting Down 26 Federal Plaza Detention as ICE Conditions Go on Trial

A federal judge in Lower Manhattan is considering whether to further restrict the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to keep detained immigrants inside holding cells at 26 Federal Plaza.  In a two-hour long bench trial Wednesday morning, immigrant advocates laid out their case that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had repeatedly violated the constitutional rights of immigrants inside holding cells last summer at 26 Federal Plaza, where…

Judge weighs whether permanent court order necessary to ensure humane conditions at 26 Federal Plaza

After a one-day bench trial Wednesday, a federal judge is weighing whether the Trump administration can be trusted to uphold humane conditions for detained immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza on its own — or to put it under permanent court order — to ensure detainees have access to basic necessities and are not being cramped into small cells with dozens of people at a time. The hearing comes in a class action filed last August by immigrant rights att…

Federal trial reveals ICE knew about 'insane' crowding in NYC holding cells

Immigration Court building entrance at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. In emails and testimony, ICE agents acknowledged unsafe conditions at holding areas for immigrants. [ more › ]