New York, NY—Today, the U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York granted a stay prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from conducting civil immigration arrests in or near immigration courthouses in New York City, including 26 Federal Plaza, 290 Broadway and 201 Varick Street. This came after ICE had misled the court about the legality of their mass abduction program at New York’s immigration courts. Federal immigration officers must adhere to ICE’s 2021 guidance, which prohibits civil immigration enforcement actions in or near courthouses (meaning in the vicinity of the court, including entrances and exits and adjoining parking lots) except under extremely limited circumstances.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Every immigrant New Yorker deserves the ability to access immigration courts and navigate legal proceedings without fear of being unlawfully detained or separated from their family. ICE’s courthouse arrests have sown fear in New York’s immigrant communities, discouraging people from showing up to court and undermining trust in the legal process by targeting individuals at the moment they are complying with federal law requirements. Today’s decision is a vital step toward restoring a semblance of accountability and due process for everyone navigating New York City’s immigration courts. This court order must be fully followed by ICE, the detention center at 26 Federal Plaza must finally be closed, and all New Yorkers who have been unlawfully tricked and trapped at their court appearances must be immediately reunited with their families.”