MANHATTAN, New York — The usually bustling corridors of 26 Federal Plaza were transformed into a scene of high drama and civil unrest on Thursday, September 18, 2025, as at least 11 elected officials—joined by dozens of advocates, religious leaders, and other protesters—were arrested during a sit-in against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The officials, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, and City Council Member Tiffany Caban, sought to draw attention to what they described as cruel and inhumane conditions inside the Manhattan immigration holding facility.
According to the Associated Press, the protest was sparked by mounting allegations of squalid conditions and overcrowding in the holding rooms on the building's 10th floor. These allegations are at the heart of ongoing litigation and have prompted a federal judge to extend a court order requiring ICE to improve its treatment of detainees. The officials, acting as both lawmakers and would-be inspectors, attempted to enter the holding rooms to verify compliance with a preliminary injunction issued just a day prior by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. The injunction mandates that ICE limit facility capacity, ensure cleanliness, provide sleeping mats, and supply basic hygiene products, among other remedies.
But federal agents were having none of it. As reported by Eyewitness News, agents barred the officials from entering the holding rooms. Undeterred, the group staged a sit-in in the hallway, encircling a sign that featured a bold slash through the word "ICE." What happened next was captured by journalists and photographers on the scene: agents bound the hands of the officials with plastic ties, lined them up against a wall, and marched them down the corridor in full view of the press. All were given police summonses and released shortly thereafter.
The protest did not end with the arrests inside. Outside the building, dozens more—politicians, advocates, and faith leaders—were arrested while demonstrating in front of a garage entrance used to transport immigrants to and from the facility. The building itself, which also houses the FBI's New York field office and other federal agencies, was later locked down due to a telephoned bomb threat, according to authorities.
The demonstration and subsequent arrests come amid a broader crackdown on illegal immigration under President Donald Trump’s administration. 26 Federal Plaza has become a flashpoint for both protest and controversy, with advocates arguing that immigrant New Yorkers are being illegally detained—often after routine hearings—and that these detentions must stop. The coalition of politicians, advocates, and faith leaders behind Thursday’s protest emphasized that their actions were not merely symbolic. They had a concrete purpose: to see if ICE was following court-ordered reforms meant to address what detainees and their lawyers have described as appalling conditions.
In court filings cited by AP, detainees reported being fed inedible "slop" and enduring the "horrific stench" of sweat, urine, and feces, in part because the rooms have open toilets. The lawsuit that brought these issues to light was filed by immigration and civil rights organizations on behalf of those held at the Manhattan facility. The court’s preliminary injunction, issued on September 17, 2025, keeps in place requirements that ICE provide adequate space, thoroughly clean cells three times a day, supply soap, towels, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products, and make accommodations for confidential, unmonitored, and unrecorded legal telephone calls.
State Senator Jabari Brisport, one of the officials arrested, described the scene on the 10th floor as "both disgusting and cowardly." According to Brisport, immigration officials used zip ties to lock the doors to the holding areas and duct tape to seal cracks, preventing outsiders from seeing inside. "After the immigration officials were finished, they laughed, and I heard them laugh about what they were doing, and they should absolutely be ashamed of themselves," Brisport said, as reported by AP.
Comptroller Brad Lander, who has a history of activism at 26 Federal Plaza—having been previously arrested there in June 2025 after linking arms with a person authorities were attempting to detain—was particularly vocal after his release. "A federal judge has indicated that the federal law is not being followed — the conditions are cruel and inhumane, that ICE is not respecting their rights," Lander told reporters. "And no elected official or other oversight agency has been allowed in to see it."
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, took a starkly different view. In a statement, she singled out Lander, accusing him of showing up "unannounced with agitators and media" and refusing to leave until detainees were released. "Another day, another sanctuary politician pulling a stunt in attempt to get their 15 minutes of fame while endangering DHS personnel and detainees," McLaughlin said. She added, "Lander’s obsession with attacking the brave men and women of law enforcement, physically and rhetorically, must stop NOW."
From the perspective of ICE and federal authorities, the protest was an unnecessary disruption, potentially putting both staff and detainees at risk. The agency has maintained that it is working to comply with the court’s orders, though access for oversight remains a contentious issue. For critics, however, the lack of transparency and the reported efforts to block visibility into the holding rooms only fuel suspicions that conditions remain dire.
As the dust settles, the events at 26 Federal Plaza have reignited a fierce debate over immigration enforcement, detainee rights, and the limits of civil protest. Supporters of the arrested officials argue that direct action was necessary to shine a spotlight on abuses that would otherwise remain hidden behind locked doors and taped-over windows. Opponents, meanwhile, accuse the protesters of grandstanding and interfering with lawful federal operations.
The legal battle over the Manhattan facility is far from over. The preliminary injunction issued by Judge Kaplan is just one step in what could be a protracted fight over the rights of detainees and the responsibilities of federal agencies. For now, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on 26 Federal Plaza, where questions about justice, oversight, and the treatment of some of the city’s most vulnerable residents refuse to fade away.
Thursday’s events serve as a vivid reminder of the tensions simmering beneath the surface of New York’s immigrant communities, the halls of power, and the very institutions meant to safeguard justice. Whether these protests will lead to lasting change or simply mark another chapter in a long-running struggle remains to be seen, but for those involved, the stakes could not be higher.
