Several New York physicians are speaking out against what they say are inhumane conditions at an immigration holding facility in Lower Manhattan. 

Monday, physicians from the nonprofit New York Doctors Coalition tried to get into 26 Federal Plaza, requesting access to assess conditions on the 10th floor. That's where the doctors say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has an overcrowded and unsanitary holding facility for detained immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security calls it a processing center. 

The doctors were turned away by security. 

Last month, video released by the New York Immigration Coalition and verified by CBS News New York showed conditions on the 10th floor, although it was unclear when the footage was taken. The person taking the video was heard saying "Look how they have us here, like dogs." 

"This building has been turned into a place of health abuse"  

Last week, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting ICE from detaining people in spaces with fewer than 50 square feet per person, and calling for improved access to hygiene, providing sleeping mats and access to medical care. 

"The building has been turned into a place of health abuse," Dr. Steve Auerbach of New York Doctors Coalition said. "We've had observers that went to the 10th floor."

"It is not a residential building. They are violating zoning laws," Auerbach added. 

"They detained a 7-year-old last week. A 7-year-old. How is that helping anybody?" Dr. Sonni Mun of New York Doctors Coalition said. "I think the distress these families are going are similar to people who lose young family members." 

Several advocacy groups who rallied with the doctors Monday called for medical professionals independent of DHS to be allowed in. They told CBS News New York loved ones of those detained fear retaliation for speaking out publicly. 

"Complete fiction about 26 Federal Plaza," DHS says

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest described recent calls they've received. 

"Some of the people do not have vital medications that they need to maintain their health. Some of the most alarming things we hear is not having access to HIV medications that they've been on for long term," Karina Albistegui Adler of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest said. "We were contacted about a month ago about a young person who had open heart surgery ... they were detained without their medication that they needed to maintain their health ... unfortunately, by the time they reached us, they opted to leave because they were worried they would die in detention because they were feeling so sick." 

The temporary restraining order remains in place for about another week while the judge considers more longer term relief. DHS says it is appealing the order. 

"This order and this lawsuit are driven by complete fiction about 26 Federal Plaza. The fact of the matter here is the Trump administration is carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history and is removing the worst of the worst from American communities. Any claim of subprime conditions at ICE facilities are categorically false. 26 Federal Plaza operates as a processing center, brief intake for illegal aliens, and then transfer to an ICE detention center meeting national standards for care and custody, which are in most cases better than facilities which detain Americans. ICE enforcement operations will continue at full speed to protect American communities from the worst of the worst, and DHS will appeal this order," a DHS spokesperson said.