U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ramped up its immigration enforcement actions in Lower Manhattan on Thursday morning, drawing criticism and concern from observers who characterized the operations as aggressive and unlawful.
Eyewitness accounts described a scene of tension and confusion outside a federal immigration court located on the 29th floor of 290 Broadway. A woman associated with a volunteer group was seen embracing an individual who had just exited the courtroom. Tearfully, she expressed her regret for being unable to assist him. Moments later, a group of masked ICE agents descended upon the area, leading to chaos as bystanders attempted to intervene but were forcefully pushed aside.
In a poignant statement to amNewYork, the unnamed woman emphasized, “Remind people that no matter what they are hearing, they can’t take away people’s dignity; they are human.”
As media representatives covered the unfolding situation, agents directed threats towards them, asserting that they were in a restricted area, even though they were within a public space in a federal building. Intimidation tactics included agents photographing journalists’ press credentials using their cellphones.
Wearing ski masks, baseball caps, and bulletproof vests, the federal agents presented a stark and menacing presence, with some going so far as to conceal tattoos with long sleeves. When approached by reporters, several agents attempted to evade being filmed.
Volunteers who sought to escort immigrants safely from the courtroom to elevators were met with harsh resistance from ICE agents, who forcefully shoved them away and issued threats of arrest for obstructing their operations.
Previously, it was common practice for ICE agents to wait until court hearings were concluded before detaining individuals. However, eyewitnesses noted a marked shift in tactics, with agents apprehending individuals awaiting their return case dates. City Comptroller Brad Lander, present during the hearings just days after his own arrest on June 17, corroborated these observations.
Lander stated, “What I saw today is worse than times one through four. In every case that we witnessed today, which I think is seven or eight individuals, the judges had granted them hearings.” He recounted the instance of a young woman from Guatemala who, despite being granted a hearing by a judge set for February 2027, was accosted by ICE agents in the hallway. “They obviously can’t have had a warrant… the judge is granting them a hearing, and nonetheless, ICE without any rationale whatsoever, is disappearing with them.”
During a subsequent interview with amNewYork, Lander expressed his disturbance regarding the aggressive tactics employed by ICE. “There’s no need for this violent, aggressive theater of disappearance,” he remarked. He highlighted the emotionally charged situation for families, recounting an incident involving an Ecuadorian couple whose respective cases were treated differently, resulting in family separation during the enforcement actions.
Lander relayed the woman’s concern for her partner, who had been detained. “Are they going to kill him?” she asked in Spanish, underscoring the anxiety that ICE’s heavy-handed tactics instilled in those present.
In another alarming interaction, ICE agents allegedly threatened to arrest a U.S. citizen after accusing him of assaulting them with a pen, claiming that he had inadvertently poked himself when trying to take control of the situation.
Amidst the chaos and heightened enforcement actions, ICE agents continued to obscure their identities, leading New York lawmakers to advocate for federal legislation demanding transparency by requiring agents to show their faces while on duty. U.S. Representative Dan Goldman has previously compared ICE’s current tactics to those of a repressive regime, describing them as “gestapo-like behavior.”
The situation is not only troubling for immigrants and advocates but for federal staff and workers who navigate their daily duties in 290 Broadway and Federal Plaza, voicing fears of the constant presence of masked agents.
Ryan, a federal worker, voiced his daily distress, stating, “It is terrifying every day.”
As the situation unfolds, the impact of ICE’s intensified enforcement tactics continues to resonate, raising pressing questions about the balance between immigration enforcement and the preservation of individual rights and dignity.
image source from：amny
