Federal Judge Bans Most Arrests by Federal Agents in Immigration Courts in New York
The ruling preserves courthouse access for people in removal proceedings and asylum seekers, while allowing arrests only in exceptional circumstances.
- On Monday, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel restricted federal agents from making arrests at three Manhattan immigration courts—26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway—except under exceptional circumstances.
- Government lawyers recently reversed their position, conceding that 2025 policies regarding arrests near courthouses set by the administration of President Donald Trump did not apply to immigration courts after all.
- Castel ruled that while the government has an interest in enforcing immigration laws, there is a "serious interest in letting individuals attend removal proceedings and pursue asylum claims before a judge" without fear.
- Beth Baltimore, deputy director of The Door's Legal Services Center, called the decision an "enormous win for noncitizen New Yorkers," with advocates continuing to support members impacted by courthouse arrests.
- Federal agents may still detain individuals at locations away from immigration courts and can intervene during serious public safety threats, though the ruling concludes a lawsuit brought by the NYCLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Make the Road NY.
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Masked ICE employees keep arresting immigrants on their way to court. Now a federal judge has banned this action in New York – and was immediately ignored.
ICE arrests individual at NYC court after judge prohibits operations
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested someone at 26 Federal Plaza less than 24 hours after a judge ruled that the agency is prohibited from doing so, according to lawmakers and pro-immigrant organizations. The New York Immigration Coalition said an individual was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday. Rep. [...]
Federal judge blocks ICE from making arrests at NYC immigration courthouses
A man from Ecuador is detained by federal agents at 26 Federal Plaza on Sept. 25, 2025. The temporary order is a blow to the Trump administration's enforcement efforts in the city. [ more › ]
Judge to DHS: Stop Arresting People at Immigration Court
Federal agents can no longer make arrests without exceptional circumstances in and around three Manhattan buildings where immigration proceedings occur, a judge ruled. The decision by US District Judge P. Kevin Castel on Monday brings an abrupt halt to a practice begun under the Trump administration that enabled agents to...
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