NEW YORK (WPIX) — A U.S. District Judge has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining migrants at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ruled on Tuesday, citing in his decision that ICE must:
“Ensure that no person detained at 26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York (hereinafter “Detainees”), is held or detained is held or detained in any hold room or other room, cell or other space.”
Detainees must also be allowed to consult with an attorney, schedule legal calls with counsel, and be granted materials such as towels, toilet paper, and other hygiene products without charge.
The decision follows the release of a video by the New York Immigration Coalition showing conditions inside holding cells, raising concerns about the treatment of detainees by federal immigration authorities.
Immigration advocates and elected officials have expressed concern about the treatment of individuals detained at the courthouse — many of whom were arrested after showing up for legal asylum or green card hearings.
“Today’s order sends a clear message: ICE cannot hold people in abusive conditions and deny them their Constitutional rights to due process and legal representation,” said Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. “We’ll continue to fight to ensure that peoples’ rights are upheld at 26 Federal Plaza and beyond.”
The full temporary restraining order can be read here.