On the morning of September 30, 2025, chaos erupted inside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly assaulted multiple journalists documenting arrests outside immigration courtrooms. The incident, which left one photojournalist hospitalized and others shaken, has drawn sharp condemnation from city and state officials, ignited debate over press freedom, and highlighted rising tensions at the federal facility known as a flashpoint in the ongoing immigration crackdown.
According to amNewYork, the trouble began just after 10:15 a.m. when masked ICE agents were seen trailing a woman as she exited an immigration courtroom. The agents, without identifying themselves or asking for documentation, followed her into a public elevator. Dean Moses, police bureau chief for amNewYork, who had been covering immigration proceedings at the building for months, entered the elevator to document what appeared to be an arrest in progress. "A couple of seconds after she goes into the elevator, two ICE agents go in after her," Moses recounted to amNewYork. "They never identified themselves, they didn’t ask for her papers or her ID."
What happened next was captured in video footage and confirmed by multiple sources. Moses said, "I walked into the elevator behind them, and they started screaming at me, ‘Get the f–k out.’ Then they pushed me, grabbed me by my arms, and started pulling me out of the elevator. I tried to hold on, but I got shoved out." The agents, whose faces were concealed by masks and head coverings, forcibly removed Moses, preventing him from documenting the arrest.
The confrontation escalated outside the elevator. Olga Fedorova, a freelance photographer working for the Associated Press, was shoved to the floor by another ICE agent. The force of the push sent her sprawling into L. Vural Elibol, a photojournalist with Anadolu Agency, who was standing directly behind her. Elibol fell hard, hitting his head on the floor near the elevator bank. Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene as Elibol lay semi-conscious and unmoving for 35 to 40 minutes. "People immediately started screaming because he was seriously injured," Moses told amNewYork.
Medical personnel from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrived quickly, and a nurse provided preliminary treatment before New York City EMS placed a neck brace on Elibol and transported him to a local hospital. The FDNY confirmed it was called to the scene around 10:30 a.m. for a report of an injury and that one person was taken to the hospital. Elibol is expected to recover, but the images of him being carried out on a stretcher have already become emblematic of a broader conflict over the treatment of journalists and immigrants at the site.
The incident comes on the heels of another controversial episode at 26 Federal Plaza less than a week earlier. In that case, video showed an ICE agent violently shoving a woman to the ground after she pursued her husband, who had been arrested following a court appearance. The agent was initially suspended after the video went viral, but CBS News reported he returned to work the following Monday, raising questions about accountability and oversight within ICE.
In the immediate aftermath of Tuesday’s incident, the Department of Homeland Security offered a sharply different account. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, stated, "Officers were swarmed by agitators and members of the press, which obstructed operations to arrest a person she described as ‘an illegal alien from Peru.’" McLaughlin further argued that Federal Plaza "has been the target of multiple threats, including assaults on law enforcement," and urged "the media and politicians to stop fanning the flames of division and stop demonization of law enforcement."
Reporters and witnesses on the scene disputed the DHS narrative. "No one intervened, no one stopped anything," Moses insisted, rejecting the claim that journalists or bystanders had obstructed the agents. Video footage widely shared on social media showed agents shouting, "Get out of the f****** elevator," as they forcibly ejected journalists and arrested the woman inside. The tension in the air was palpable, with people exclaiming "Oh my God" as the violence unfolded.
The reaction from public officials was swift and pointed. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, himself no stranger to the building’s confrontational atmosphere—he was arrested at Federal Plaza in June during an anti-ICE protest—posted on social media, "Another violent attack by an ICE officer on a civilian at 26 Federal Plaza—this time on a journalist, who had to be carried out on [a] stretcher. Another attack on the First Amendment, our neighbors, and our democracy."
Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in, writing, "Masked ICE agents shoved and injured journalists today at Federal Plaza. One reporter left on a stretcher. This abuse of law-abiding immigrants and the reporters telling their stories must end. What the hell are we doing here?" Her remarks echoed the sense of outrage felt by many in the city’s political leadership.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned what he called "a violent assault by masked agents at the 26 Federal Plaza facility in New York City," and called for the agents to be identified and held accountable. "Americans cannot and should not tolerate unaccountable masked secret police," Jeffries said, urging the Department of Homeland Security to act.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams took aim at what he described as the normalization of state-sanctioned violence. "If these attacks happen on the sidewalk outside 26 Federal Plaza, the perpetrators would be arrested for assault. But behind their face masks and locked doors, these federal agents believe they are accountable to no one – and they will attack anyone trying to show the world the reality."
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani connected Tuesday’s events to a broader pattern, referencing the incident five days earlier. "Five days ago, an ICE agent shoved a woman asking questions about the detention of her husband. Today they attacked journalists from amNewYork and [the Associated Press]," Mamdani posted. "We cannot accept or normalize what has now become routine violence at 26 Federal Plaza. It has no place in our city."
Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said, "There is no incident that should call for this level of violence against people who are witnessing the cruelty of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. And every single person deserves dignity and respect. And what we’re seeing is that ICE continues to operate in this rogue fashion where they think they are above the law."
For Dean Moses, the experience left him with minor pain in his underarms and shoulder, but also a renewed sense of resolve. While he plans to seek a medical examination, he remains determined to continue covering the proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza. "There has been tension definitely rising there over the months, and it’s not just between ICE and the photographers. It’s between ICE, photographers and other staff members. It’s also among the immigrants who go there. It’s reached such a boiling point, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner," Moses reflected.
As the dust settles, the events of September 30 have reignited debate about the balance between law enforcement operations and the rights of journalists and immigrants. With video evidence contradicting official accounts and calls for accountability growing louder, the story at 26 Federal Plaza is far from over.
