Amidst allegations of inhumane conditions and escalated ICE detainments, New York's elected representatives Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez faced a barrier to transparency after authorities denied them entry to an ICE facility in Federal Plaza. The refusal came on the heels of a contentious confrontation between anti-ICE protestors and NYPD which resulted in 22 arrests, as reported by ABC7 New York.
State Representatives Espaillat and Velázquez, who spent over an hour in the building's lobby before being turned away, expressed their dismay following the incident, with Espaillat stating, "Today, ICE violated our rights," according to an interview with CBS News New York. They strived to inspect the facility after reports of overcrowding and squalid conditions arose from immigration advocates and were seeking answers which they were denied access to the 10th floor where the alleged detentions are taking place.
Following the botched inspection attempt, the Department of Homeland Security defended ICE's response, stating that Representatives arrived unannounced and could not be accommodated due to ongoing law enforcement operations, while Espaillat and Velázquez were conducting an unannounced visit, eager for firsthand insight into the supposed detainee mistreatment but they were prohibited, raising further questions about what happens behind closed doors at 26 Federal Plaza.
At the core of this scrutiny lies the practice of apprehending immigrants attending court or ICE check-ins, a method which has sparked concern among immigrant advocates for the wellbeing of those detained as they attend legally mandated appointments, Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, expressed worry about those "snatched and disappeared" after such encounters, a statement he made to CBS News New York, echoed by many others voicing their concerns at Federal Plaza over the weekend.
In response to the allegations and the denial of access to lawmakers, ICE has maintained their position stating an investigation into immigration crimes continue throughout the region, implying the necessity of their operations, all the while, constituents and advocacy groups remain adamant that immigrants are merely complying with the processes laid before them as they strive for asylum amid escalating enforcement tactics.
