Attorney General James Takes Action to Stop Inhumane Conditions for Immigrants Detained in New York City

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James took action to stop the illegal treatment of immigrants arrested in New York, including those arrested after attending immigration court proceedings and routine check-in appointments at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) New York field office at 26 Federal Plaza in downtown Manhattan. In an amicus brief filed in a case brought by detainees held at 26 Federal Plaza, Attorney General James argues that ICE has violated the law by holding immigrants at the field office for days in inhumane conditions. Until June, ICE guidelines limited the use of field office holding rooms for detentions to a maximum of 12 hours, but now, recent reporting has revealed that hundreds of people have been held there for days at a time in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Attorney General James is asking the court to grant the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the inhumane conditions at 26 Federal Plaza.

“The abhorrent treatment of immigrants at 26 Federal Plaza is illegal and it must stop,” said Attorney General James. “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.”

In May 2025, ICE began making mass arrests of immigrants in New York City, including those who came to 26 Federal Plaza for immigration court and routine check-in appointments. Recent detainees include a seven-year-old child who was arrested with her mother and brother. Those arrested have been held in several small holding rooms that are intended only for short-term use of a few hours, typically for those who are being transferred to or from a court or detention facility. However, following a change in ICE guidelines in June, these holding rooms have held hundreds of people for days at a time.

The lawsuit filed by detainees alleges that the federal government is holding dozens of people in small rooms for days in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. According to the lawsuit, detainees are crowded into rooms with only a single toilet and sink, are not provided with beds or sleeping mats, and receive only two meals per day. Medical personnel are not available overnight, and family and attorneys are not permitted to visit.

Recent arrests of students, small business owners, and workers have upended communities and significantly disrupted the lives of detainees. These detentions threaten the livelihoods and wellbeing of families across the city. 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. Unnecessary detention of immigrants also threatens New York City’s economy, where undocumented immigrants account for nearly one in 20 workers and pay approximately $6.7 billion in federal and state taxes.  

Attorney General James asserts that the federal government cannot detain individuals in unsafe and inhumane conditions. With this brief, Attorney General James is calling on the court to grant the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and order the federal government to take concrete action to make conditions at 26 Federal Plaza safer and more humane.