Outside a nondescript office building on Elk Street in Lower Manhattan, a heartbreaking scene unfolded on Wednesday as immigrants and their family members gathered, anxiously waiting to see if their loved ones would return after what was assumed to be routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The basement office is operated by a private subcontractor, the Geo Group, overseeing ICE check-ins where immigrants in various stages of deportation proceedings must appear as their cases progress through the immigration system.
Under the Trump administration’s orders for increased arrests, many immigrants in New York City received urgent calls and messages from ICE instructing them to report to the office on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Among those who attended were mothers who had initially responded to similar requests on Tuesday but were instructed to bring their children for Wednesday’s appointments.
Reports indicated that on Tuesday afternoon, 16 individuals were taken out of the office in handcuffs, and the situation escalated on Wednesday with at least 15 more arrests.
Witnesses observed two mothers with young children escorted on foot by agents from the Elk Street office to the nearby 26 Federal Plaza, leaving uncertainty about their detention status.
As the day progressed, The City captured various moments of tension and despair experienced by the waiting families.
At 9:32 a.m., two SUVs arrived outside the Elk Street office, similar to those that transported detainees to 26 Federal Plaza the previous day.
Around 9:45 a.m., a woman and a teenage girl were escorted by two agents across the street, raising questions about their fate.
Emotions ran high as a woman emerged from the ICE office and shared a tearful embrace with a friend waiting outside.
Colin Campbell, a 55-year-old U.S. citizen accompanying a home health aide from Guyana, expressed sadness and uncertainty about his friend’s situation, praying for her safe return.
By 10:27 a.m., the first clear arrests of the morning took place, with a woman and two men in handcuffs being taken to the waiting SUVs, prompting Campbell to question the nature of these arrests.
Veronica, 35, was standing across from the office with her young son, waiting for her friend.
She shared that her friend was nervous about the urgent call to attend the check-in and had hesitated to come, despite Veronica’s reassurances that they were doing things correctly and that her friend had done nothing wrong.
At 11:15 a.m., Hubert Mendonca, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Guyana, expressed his anxiety while waiting for his wife and infant daughter.
Watching the arrests unfold made him uneasy, and he reflected on the need for the government to differentiate between individuals who should be given second chances and those who were genuinely a threat.
Attorney Dave Wilkins was pacing outside, highlighting the number of people he represented who were inside and how he had been told to leave shortly after entering with a client.
He expressed concern for his client’s whereabouts, stating that he hadn’t heard from her in over two hours.
By 10:50 a.m., another mother and her young child were walked across the street by agents, leaving the waiting crowd apprehensive about their outcome.
Two women outside exchanged words in English; one expressed anxiety about her husband being in the office, while the other worried about her friend.
At 11:00 a.m., a Turkish woman and her children emerged from the office, elated to reunite with their husband after waiting outside.
The joyful moment was starkly contrasted by the painful experiences surrounding them.
At 11:30 a.m., Jaen, who was from Colombia, went inside for his appointment, leaving his wife Ambar and their 12-year-old daughter, Aranza, waiting outside.
By 11:59 a.m., Mendonca’s wife emerged from the office, and the family shared a loving embrace.
Holding their 3-month-old daughter, Mendonca expressed a momentary relief, though he recognized the uncertain future that lay ahead.
He spoke of the sheer horror of the situation while highlighting the need for compassion towards families like his.
At 11:48 a.m., two more men were escorted out in handcuffs, contributing to a growing feeling of dread among those waiting outside.
At 12:11 p.m., Rosmely, a Venezuelan woman, anxiously awaited her daughter-in-law, expressing her deep concern and unease about the situation.
By 12:57 p.m., Ambar and her daughter had been waiting for more than two hours, and her anxiety escalated.
Reflecting on her two-year journey, she voiced her feelings of powerlessness while expressing hope for the fairness of the country.
At 1:25 p.m., there was a brief pause when one masked agent appeared to leave for lunch, during which an activist shouted angrily, denouncing the agents and invoking distress in the crowd.
At 1:47 p.m., four women in handcuffs were led out of the office by masked agents, causing Rosmely to break down in tears, fearing for her daughter-in-law’s safety.
Colin Campbell was similarly affected, sobbing as his friend was taken into custody, visibly distressed by the weight of the situation.
Around the corner, Rosmely collapsed onto a curb, overwhelmed by the emotional burden.
“How can I tell my son?” she lamented in Spanish, unable to comprehend the reality of the circumstances.
She noted that her daughter-in-law was a peaceful individual with no criminal record and expressed fear about future court appearances, saying, “No one should come here.”
At 2:30 p.m., Veronica’s friend appeared with her child, and they shared a tight embrace, finding a moment of relief amid the chaos.
Then, at 2:41 p.m., four men were walked out in handcuffs, including Jaen, which sparked chaos as Ambar’s 12-year-old daughter screamed and ran after him in desperation.
Ambar collapsed on the sidewalk, overwhelmed with grief as she cried out for her husband.
Attempts by her lawyer to console her were met with silence, as 12-year-old Aranza remained stoically devastated.
After spending hours inside, family lawyer Margaret Cargioli addressed reporters, explaining how the ICE operations seemed aimed at individuals with final orders of removal or those approaching two years in the country.
Cargioli expressed dismay at the separation of families, particularly in light of Jaen’s consistent cooperation with ICE demands.
By 4:04 p.m., two more men were brought out to waiting SUVs.
Finally, by 4:35 p.m., the day appeared to conclude as masked agents left the building, signaling the end of a day marked by emotional turmoil.
The events at the Elk Street office shed light on the distressing reality faced by immigrant families in immigration proceedings, highlighting a day of uncertainty, fear, and heartache that would linger in their lives for a long time.
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