Arrests of local government officials at 26 Federal Plaza, New York City
Eleven New York Elected Officials Arrested During Immigration Court Protest
On Thursday, a group of New York City elected officials were arrested while participating in a protest aimed at gaining access to a federal building housing immigration courts. The protest was organized by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and other organizations, including the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the Sunrise Movement, Make the Road New York, the National Day Labor Organizing Network, and the Immigrant Defense Project.
City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, and New York City Council Members Sandy Nurse and Tiffany Cabañ were among those arrested by New York City Police Department officers. In addition, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sens. Jabari Brisport, Julia Salazar, Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Members Bobby Carroll, Emily Gallagher, Jessica González-Rojas, Marcela Mitaynes, Claire Valdez, Tony Simone, and Steven Raga were arrested by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents.
The elected officials had requested access to the 10th floor of the building to determine whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was complying with a recent court order. However, the exact nature of the court order and its specific requirements were not specified in the article.
The 10th floor of the building has been turned into a makeshift detention facility by ICE, and the officials were attempting to gain access to the floor to assess the situation. The misdemeanor violation notice issued to each of the arrested officials prohibits "unreasonably obstruct(ing) the usual use of entrances, foyers, lobbies, corridors, offices, elevators, stairways, or parking lots."
Thursday's direct action was not the first time that Brad Lander has been arrested in 26 Federal Plaza. In June, he was arrested by federal agents in a hallway outside of an immigration courtroom while working with JFREJ to escort immigrants to and from their court hearings.
The federal misdemeanor charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail, but it is expected that the arrested officials will most likely just have to pay a fine - assuming federal prosecutors don't just drop the charges. The elected officials arrested outside the building had attempted to peacefully block a garage serving as an entry and exit point for vehicles used by ICE to transport immigrant detainees.
The arrested officials were taken up to the 30th floor and processed before being released. The organizations involved in the action on Thursday in New York City, besides Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, are not explicitly named in the provided search results. Only Jews for Racial and Economic Justice is mentioned by name in relation to the event.
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