A dramatic scene unfolded in New York when Filipino American Assemblyman Steven Raga was arrested along with other elected officials at the Federal Plaza Immigration Court in Lower Manhattan.
The group, which included members of the New York State Assembly and City Hall, attempted to inspect the 10th-floor immigration detention facility after a U.S. District Court ordered improvements to its harsh conditions.
Raga did not hold back in his statement:
“ICE is starving people, denying them medical care, and cramming them into cage-like conditions. No matter your politics, inhumane treatment cannot be excused.”
Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas added that their arrest came as they tried to carry out their duty of oversight.
“We put our bodies on the line for the lives and freedom of thousands of New Yorkers illegally detained by ICE. Many of us were arrested for standing up for them.”
It wasn’t just officials. Doctors, faith leaders, and community members who joined the demonstration outside were also arrested, raising the total number of detainees that day to more than 70.
Raga stressed this was not just a protest, but a fight for human rights:
“We have a duty to hold the government accountable when unalienable rights are at risk. New Yorkers will not stand idly by while ICE violates human rights and the Constitution.”
But federal officials painted a very different picture. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused the politicians of being agitators. According to her, the group disrupted operations, refused to leave, and created chaos inside the building. The situation escalated so badly that the Federal Protective Service and NYPD were called in, placing the building on lockdown after a bomb threat was phoned in.
This is not the first time tensions have flared at Federal Plaza. Last year, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander was also arrested there after questioning the detention of an undocumented immigrant.
Now, with multiple lawmakers behind bars and a community demanding justice, one thing is clear: the battle over ICE’s role in New York is far from over.
