Video and images show that as of this Tuesday (July 22), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were still conducting arrests in the federal building in downtown Manhattan. Immigration experts say that those being arrested outside the courthouse have a history of previous arrests or criminal records.
According to a video posted on X platform by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) on July 22, ICE was waiting outside the courthouse that day to apprehend immigrants attending court hearings and detain them in the hallways.
The video was filmed on the 10th floor of the federal building at Federal Plaza 26. It shows a crowded detention hall where people are sleeping on the floor in dirty clothes. Some individuals are covering their faces with shirts, possibly to shield themselves from light. “No showers, medication, or change of clothes, sleeping on the floor, minimal food and limited contact with the outside world,” the organization commented.
Federal agents were stationed on the 12th and 14th floors of the courthouse, some holding documents with photos of new immigrants, waiting for targets to exit the courtrooms so they could make arrests.
In this situation, more and more immigrants are opting to participate in court hearings online to avoid encounters with ICE.
The day before, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan visited New York, announcing plans to significantly increase the deployment of ICE agents.
“They may not have a criminal record, but they need to be detained. They need to be arrested and taken off the streets of this country,” Homan stated. “Is illegal entry no longer illegal? Do you need to commit murder to be deported?”
However, Manager Wang of the Qin Susan Law Firm told this news agency that Homan’s remarks pertain to the “collateral arrests” of undocumented immigrants in communities, which differ from the arrests happening outside the courtroom.
“Homan is the acting director of immigration and customs enforcement. His remarks refer to the collateral arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal records in communities, which could involve other undocumented immigrants coincidentally caught up in the enforcement operations. This is separate from the ICE arrests taking place outside the courthouse and falls under different departments,” Manager Wang explained. “The arrests outside the courthouse generally occur during ‘master calendars’ for immigrants with previous arrests or charges.”
Manager Wang emphasized that the ICE memorandum about no bond being granted if arrested by ICE refers to immigrants reporting to ICE and being careful not to violate rules, such as changing addresses, rather than reporting to court.
Additionally, most “master calendars” can now be conducted online, eliminating the need for immigrants to appear in person.