On August 14, 2025, the debate over basic human dignity and safety inside the walls of a federal immigration detention facility in Manhattan reached a boiling point. In a packed courtroom, government lawyers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) argued that providing toothbrushes to detainees could pose a "potential safety concern," citing fears that the humble hygiene tool might be turned into a weapon. It was a claim that left many observers—and even some seasoned legal professionals—shaking their heads in disbelief.
The controversy centers on the ICE facility at 26 Federal Plaza, a towering government building in the heart of New York City that houses immigration courts and ICE offices. According to The Independent, detainees have reported spending as long as three weeks inside the facility without the chance to bathe or brush their teeth. The conditions described in court filings are grim: people sleeping on the floor, forced to endure the "horrific stench" of sweat, urine, and feces, all while being fed what detainees have called inedible "slop." The facility’s so-called "hold room" is officially intended to keep people for no more than 12 hours. Yet, as The City reported, in May and June of this year, the average stay ballooned to 29 hours, with 81 individuals held for four days or more—and a record 186 people packed in overnight on June 5.
Despite the outcry, District Judge Lewis Kaplan decided on August 14 to continue allowing ICE to ban toothbrushes from the facility while the legal battle unfolds. The rationale? According to a letter from Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, "providing toothbrushes, rather than teeth-cleaning wipes, presents a potential safety concern for other aliens in custody as well as ICE personnel because toothbrushes can be readily improvised as weapons." The statement, echoed in both The City and The Independent, reflects a longstanding anxiety within correctional environments about makeshift weapons. But critics point out that across the country—including at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, just a subway ride away—toothbrushes are routinely available for less than a dollar. In fact, ICE’s own national detention standards require that "each detainee shall receive, at a minimum ... one tube of toothpaste" and "one toothbrush."
Attorneys representing detainees were quick to push back. "There is no basis to deny individuals detained at 26 Federal Plaza basic hygiene products that are customarily made available at other immigration detention facilities across the country," they wrote in a court filing, as quoted by The Independent. They argued that ICE’s refusal to provide toothbrushes isn’t just a matter of comfort or convenience—it’s a matter of health and basic human rights. Immigrants’ rights groups, lawyers, and lawmakers have been sounding the alarm for weeks about deteriorating conditions inside the building. The chorus of criticism has only grown louder as more details have emerged about the squalid environment within the Manhattan facility.
Digging deeper, the roots of this crisis stretch beyond simple questions of hygiene. The surge in detentions is closely tied to broader federal immigration enforcement priorities. Thousands of people nationwide have found themselves in custody after showing up for court-ordered ICE check-ins or immigration court hearings, swept up in the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda. According to The City, between May and June 2025, half of all immigration court arrests in the United States took place in New York City. The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review has reportedly issued guidance to immigration judges to grant government motions for immediate dismissal of immigrants’ cases, making them easy targets for arrest and removal.
Not all judges have taken this process in stride. On August 14, New York District Judge Dale Ho harshly criticized what he described as the "arbitrary" practice of arresting immigrants as they leave their court hearings, calling it a "game of detention roulette" that violates due process. The City highlighted Judge Ho’s remarks, which underscored the chaotic and unpredictable nature of current enforcement tactics.
Meanwhile, the facility itself has become a symbol of the tensions and contradictions at the heart of America’s immigration system. While ICE maintains that security must come first—even at the cost of basic hygiene—advocates argue that the agency is failing to meet its own minimum standards. The national detention guidelines are clear: detainees are supposed to get a toothbrush and toothpaste. Yet, as The Independent noted, the Manhattan facility has not complied, and the reasons given have left many unconvinced. After all, if toothbrushes are available in other jails and detention centers—including those with higher security risks—why not here?
Conditions inside the Manhattan facility have been described in harrowing detail. Detainees have recounted being fed unpalatable food and forced to sleep in cramped cells with open toilets, surrounded by the overpowering odors of bodily waste. The lawsuit filed against the facility paints a picture of neglect and indifference, raising serious questions about the government’s commitment to humane treatment. The City’s investigation revealed that the "hold room"—never meant for long-term stays—has become a de facto jail, with people languishing for days on end.
As if the situation weren’t tense enough, another crisis erupted on August 14 when hazmat teams rushed to 26 Federal Plaza after ICE personnel discovered envelopes containing an unknown white powder in the mail room of the Enforcement and Removal Operations headquarters on the building’s ninth floor. According to the FBI, five envelopes were found, prompting a swift response from city officials and federal law enforcement. The incident added yet another layer of anxiety and disruption to an already fraught environment.
The debate over toothbrushes might seem trivial on the surface, but it’s become a flashpoint in the broader struggle over the rights and treatment of immigrants in federal custody. For those detained at 26 Federal Plaza, the fight for a toothbrush is about more than dental hygiene—it’s about dignity, safety, and the promise of equal treatment under the law. As the legal battle continues, the eyes of the nation remain fixed on Manhattan, waiting to see whether common sense and compassion will ultimately prevail.
In the end, the outcome of this dispute will likely ripple far beyond the walls of 26 Federal Plaza, shaping the standards and expectations for how America treats some of its most vulnerable residents.
