New York Officials Arrested During ICE Protest at Federal Plaza

About a dozen New York state and local officials, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, were arrested Thursday during demonstrations at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates detention cells criticized for inhumane conditions.

The arrests came after Lander and 10 state lawmakers attempted to inspect the 10th-floor cells, a day after a federal judge issued a court order requiring ICE to improve overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Protest organizers said the officials were conducting oversight to ensure compliance, while ICE accused Lander of disrupting law enforcement.

Outside the building, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams led dozens of protesters blocking a garage entrance, chanting pro-immigrant slogans. Organizers reported more than 75 arrests in total, while the Department of Homeland Security cited 71.

The clash reflects growing tensions between federal immigration authorities and Democratic leaders critical of ICE policies. Lander had previously been detained at the same location in June, while New Jersey Representative LaMonica McIver and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka were arrested in May during a similar protest outside a detention center.

The federal judge’s 84-page injunction highlighted severe overcrowding—up to 90 detainees crammed into a 215-square-foot room with many forced to sleep on concrete floors. Detainees also lacked access to showers, clean clothing, and basic hygiene supplies such as soap, toothbrushes, and sanitary products.

Advocates, including Make the Road New York, condemned the treatment as illegal and degrading, calling for immediate reforms. ICE officials, however, stressed that detainees included individuals with serious criminal convictions, including drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

The building was later placed on lockdown after a reported bomb threat. Authorities confirmed multiple arrests, though no charges were immediately announced.