MOIA Commissioner Faiza Ali visits 26 Federal Plaza, calls ICE presence deeply unsettling'

"Ali visited several floors of the immigration courthouse on May 14, observing the procedure immigrants go through while attending their legally mandated court hearings and the hurdles of coming up against federal agents waiting in the hallways. The commissioner met with several respondents and sat in on the legal proceedings. During the visit, while on the 14th floor, Ali came upon several masked ICE agents who had spent the morning wandering the corridors. She called the interaction deeply unsettling."

"This morning at 26 Federal Plaza, I met immigrant New Yorkers who were simply trying to do what the system asks of them show up for their hearings, follow the rules, and pursue legal pathways for themselves and their families. Instead, they walked into an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, Ali said. Watching masked enforcement agents move through the hallways and waiting areas of a building where families are expected to attend immigration proceedings was deeply unsettling."

"For almost a year, 26 Federal Plaza has become the base of operations for ICE in the Big Apple. During the summer of 2025, the courthouse saw mass arrests each day before they took to the streets and performed the infamous raid on Canal Street. In 2026, the ICE presence remains, and the detainments continue, albeit at a slower rate due to many immigrants being too scared to show up."

"On Thursday, one ICE supervisor was vocal on this. That's just another reason for us to pick them up off the streets, he said. He also showed his contempt for several judges who are not sympathetic to ICE enforcement. The Judges are corrupted, they deserve to get fired, he said, referring to the Trump administration removing a slew of judges in the facility."

Ali visited multiple floors of the immigration courthouse on May 14 to observe procedures for immigrants attending legally mandated court hearings. The visit included meetings with the commissioner and attendance at legal proceedings. On the 14th floor, Ali encountered masked ICE agents who had been moving through corridors since the morning. Ali described the atmosphere as deeply unsettling, with families expected to attend hearings instead facing fear and uncertainty. 26 Federal Plaza has served as ICE’s base of operations in New York City for nearly a year, including mass arrests and street raids in 2025. In 2026, detentions continue, and some immigrants avoid court due to fear. An ICE supervisor criticized judges and expressed intent to continue arrests.

Read at www.amny.com