Ice Continues to Arrest Immigrants at Courthouses Against a Judge Who Ordered Not to Do

 By LatinTimes Staff Reporte

Federal immigration authorities recently apprehended multiple individuals within New York City legal facilities, defying directives from two separate federal magistrates to pause these actions. Civil rights attorneys detailed these occurrences in a formal submission linked to a current legal challenge, an issue initially brought to light by Documented.

The latest apprehensions occurred late last week and early this week. Specifically, officers apprehended an Ecuadorian national inside the 26 Federal Plaza facility. On that same Thursday, another individual originating from the Dominican Republic was seized at a separate complex located at 290 Broadway. The following Monday, a third person from Guatemala was taken into custody at the same Broadway location. Legal advocates emphasize that these enforcement actions took place precisely when such operations were judicially restricted.

Legal Framework and Exceptions

According to counsel, these events occurred during a period when court-based enforcement was explicitly banned. Exceptions to this prohibition are strictly limited to imminent threats concerning national security or urgent public safety matters that cannot be addressed in alternative environments.

The newly filed correspondence stems from a broader lawsuit initiated in August 2025 by non-profit organizations, including The Door alongside African Communities Together. The litigation was sparked when disguised enforcement personnel began seizing individuals during standard legal appointments, converting local judicial venues into central battlegrounds for federal removal efforts. This ongoing case is thoroughly documented by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Judicial Decisions and Policy Reversals

In May 2026, Federal District Judge Kevin Castel issued an injunction suspending these operations. This ruling came after federal attorneys conceded a significant error two months prior, admitting they had misinterpreted the very agency directives used to defend the practices. This legal turn was covered extensively by The New York Immigration Coalition. Following this regional restriction, a broader, countrywide mandate prohibiting similar courthouse detentions was handed down on June 23, 2026, by a federal judge presiding in California, as noted by Academic Jobs Global News.

In their recent motion, counselors Katherine Rosenfeld and her colleague Sam Shapiro asserted that federal declarations require strict verification. They argued that mere assertions by immigration authorities are inadequate without corroborating proof. Documents show that one currently detained immigrant possesses no prior criminal convictions, save for an entry-connected trespassing infraction, and has maintained consistent communication with federal officials. Presently, a pair of the captured individuals continue to be held while awaiting judicial decisions regarding their emergency habeas corpus requests, a development shared by their legal counsel at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP.

Government and Leadership Responses

An official representing the Department of Homeland Security strongly disputed the allegations, asserting to reporters that the actions were entirely lawful and complied with all existing judicial mandates. However, the department declined to clarify which specific legal exemptions justified each individual apprehension. A definitive legal reply from federal prosecutors is anticipated early next week.

Representative Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, stated that his team is actively working to obtain the release of the detained men, accusing the enforcement agency of flouting explicit judicial restrictions. Expressing a sterner view, Murad Awawdeh, who leads the New York Immigration Coalition, characterized the behavior of the immigration bureau as completely lawless.

Brad Lander, the current Democratic nominee vying for New York's 10th Congressional District and the city's former comptroller, labeled the unfolding events deeply troubling. Lander experienced a similar situation when federal protective forces detained him at 26 Federal Plaza in September 2025 during an oversight demonstration, as reported by City & State New York. He was subsequently cleared of all misdemeanor obstruction charges during a federal bench trial. Reflecting on his observations of over 300 court cases during the past twelve months, Lander noted that nearly every individual lacked a criminal background, with only a solitary case involving a minor misdemeanor.

Context of National Enforcement Escalation

This latest legal dispute unfolds during an intense, nationwide surge in immigration enforcement. Citing investigative data, media outlets have highlighted that immigration agents apprehended over ten thousand people within a single five-day timeframe. Internal metrics suggest that daily operational objectives are targeting close to two thousand daily detentions, a mobilization bolstered by tens of billions of dollars in federal enforcement allocations from recent legislative funding packages.

Following the implementation of the judicial stay in May, records indicate that no fewer than five individuals have been seized inside local immigration complexes. Advocacy groups contend that this tally demonstrates a deliberate effort by enforcement personnel to circumvent rather than respect judicial parameters.