ICE agents detain man at NYC immigration hearing 1 day after judge bans court arrests
Just a day after a judge banned most arrests outside Manhattan immigration courts, a man was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
On Monday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York barred ICE agents from detaining people who show up for proceedings in New York City's immigration courts, with the order specifically banning action at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway.
But photos taken Tuesday show a 21-year-old man from Honduras being detained by ICE agents after showing up to an immigration hearing at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
The man was released Tuesday night after his legal counsel says a habeas petition was filed on his behalf, but there are questions remaining about ICE's detainment practices.
Advocates accuse ICE of violating court order
Peter Melck Kuttel, detention coordinator at St. Peter's Church, was inside the courthouse when the 21-year-old was arrested.
"I actually had brought a couple of copies of the full order to the courts today and gave them to a few of the agents ... that says they simply cannot detain and the agents said, 'We don't care,'" he said.
Advocates claim it was a blatantly illegal move.
Rep. Dan Goldman is worked alongside advocacy groups to get the 21-year-old released.
"They, literally the day after, violated, outright blatantly violated a court order," he said. "It just goes to show that ICE truly, and this administration, just does not believe that the law applies to them."
ICE responds to allegations
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the allegations in a statement, saying, in part, "On May 19, ICE arrested ... an illegal alien from Honduras who is an active member of the notorious Bloods street gang. He previously faced charges for burglary, robbery, larceny, and possession stolen property."
The DHS spokesperson went on to say, "ICE did NOT violate any court orders. Nothing prohibits arresting a lawbreaker where you find them, especially illegal alien gang members."
There are some exceptions to the arrest ban, including when there are serious threats to public safety. It's not clear whether the arrest that happened Tuesday fell under that exception.
Over the last year, there have been a number of arrests at New York City immigration courts as individuals arrived for or left government-regulated immigration hearings.
