Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Sep 19: A dramatic standoff unfolded in Manhattan on Thursday when nearly a dozen New York state and city elected officials, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, were arrested during protests against alleged inhumane conditions at a federal immigration holding facility located inside 26 Federal Plaza.
According to organizers, Lander and 10 state lawmakers were taken into custody after they attempted to enter the 10th-floor ICE detention cells to “ensure compliance” with a federal court order directing improvements in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
Simultaneously, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams led a group of demonstrators who blocked the garage entrance, sitting on the ground with placards and chanting slogans such as “Immigrants are welcome here.”
Authorities confirmed that 71 people in total — including elected leaders, activists and protesters — were detained by New York Police Department and federal officers.
The federal judge’s 84-page order, issued just a day earlier, had criticized the lockup for cramming up to 90 detainees into a 215-square-foot cell, forcing them to sleep on concrete floors without access to proper sanitation, hygiene products or even sufficient clothing.
Calling the situation “deeply disturbing and unlawful,” advocacy group Make the Road New York hailed the ruling as a victory against degrading treatment of detainees.
However, Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, defended ICE, stating detainees included those convicted of weapons offenses, drug trafficking, and even an individual arrested for flying drones near the White House. She accused Lander of “causing a scene” and obstructing law enforcement, which led to the arrests and a temporary lockdown after a bomb threat was reported.
Thursday’s arrests mark yet another confrontation between Democratic leaders in New York and federal immigration authorities, underscoring ongoing tensions over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.