New York Attorney General Letitia James has asked a federal court to intervene and stop what she calls the “abhorrent and illegal” treatment of immigrants — including Caribbean nationals — who are being detained in unsafe conditions at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Manhattan.
In an amicus brief filed Tuesday, James argued that ICE has violated its own rules by holding immigrants in cramped holding rooms at 26 Federal Plaza for days at a time. Until June, ICE guidelines limited detentions in field office holding areas to no more than 12 hours. But according to recent reports, detainees — including people arrested after attending immigration court hearings or routine check-in appointments — are now being confined there for days in unsanitary and inhumane conditions.
“The abhorrent treatment of immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza is illegal and it must stop,” James said in a statement to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). “No one should be held in horrendous conditions for days in unfit and unsafe facilities. I am urging the court to order the federal government to follow the law and improve conditions for anyone detained there.”
The lawsuit, filed by detainees themselves, describes overcrowded rooms with a single toilet and sink, no beds or sleeping mats, just two meals per day, and no medical staff available overnight. Family and attorneys are barred from visiting. Among the detainees reported is a seven-year-old girl who was arrested alongside her mother and brother.
Advocates argue the sudden surge in arrests — which began in May 2025 — has torn through immigrant communities, targeting students, small business owners, and workers. James warned the ripple effects are devastating:
“These detentions threaten the livelihoods and wellbeing of families across the city,” she said. “Families that lose a wage-earning parent or relative to immigration detention are at substantially greater risk of losing their housing and being unable to pay for basic needs such as groceries, electricity, and medical care. Children whose parents are detained may be forced into foster care.”
She noted that undocumented immigrants are a critical part of New York City’s economy, accounting for nearly one in 20 workers and contributing an estimated US$6.7 billion in federal and state taxes each year.
Caribbean immigration advocacy groups have also been sounding the alarm. The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), a leading umbrella group, has demanded the immediate closure of ICE’s Federal Plaza holding centre.
“No New Yorker should fear being abducted because they went to immigration court to follow our country’s legal immigration process,” said Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s president and CEO.
Last week, Senior Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a temporary restraining order requiring ICE to meet baseline conditions for detainees on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza. James’ filing adds further pressure on the federal government to comply and end prolonged detentions in unsafe spaces.
If granted, the Attorney General’s request for a preliminary injunction would force ICE to immediately improve conditions and bring its practices back in line with the law.
