Immigration authorities ordered to enhance detention conditions following complaints of mistreatment from detainees in New York City
In a significant development, conditions at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facility at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan have been legally mandated to improve following a federal judge's order on August 12, 2025.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan issued a temporary restraining order, requiring ICE to reduce detainee capacity, provide sleeping mats, improve cleanliness by cleaning holding areas three times daily, and supply hygiene products such as soap, towels, and feminine hygiene items. The order also demands that detainees receive at least three meals a day, access to medication, and prompt notification of their rights, including confidential access to legal counsel within one hour of arrival.
Prior to the order, detainees were held in overcrowded rooms with as many as 70 to 90 people confined into about 215 square feet. They endured inhumane conditions like sleeping on the floor without mats, receiving only two "inedible" meals daily, and lacked hygiene products. Detainees also lacked access to in-person legal visits, medical care, and unrestricted legal calls. Video evidence and complaints highlighted filthy conditions with open toilets inside holding areas, foul odors, and inadequate access to menstrual products.
Post-order, ICE is legally required to comply with these mandates to bring conditions closer to constitutional and humanitarian standards. However, independent medical professionals have been unable to verify compliance as they were denied access to the facility after publicized reports of abuse and neglect. Advocates and legal groups continue to monitor the situation and push for enforcement of the court's directives.
Notable cases include Sergio Barco Mercado, a native of Peru, who was held at 26 Federal Plaza for two days last week after his arrest there while leaving an immigration court hearing. Another detainee, Carlos Lopez Benitez, fled violence in Paraguay in 2023 and was seeking asylum in the US when he was arrested in July while leaving an immigration hearing. He was told he'd be in detention until a 2029 hearing on his asylum application. Lopez Benitez reported that an officer showed him a cellphone photo of his arrest and mocked him for crying. In his holding cell, he said, officers blasted air conditioning and doled out meals that "looked like dog food."
The Trump administration has been ordered to make these improvements, and the 26 Federal Plaza facility, which has a current capacity of 24 people, according to ICE, is well below the city fire marshal's 154-person cap. The building, home to immigration court and the FBI's New York field office, has become an epicenter of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza in June, said the decision "is a much-needed rebuke of Trump's cruel immigration policies." Murad Awawdeh, the president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, continued to advocate for the permanent closure of 26 Federal Plaza despite welcoming Judge Kaplan's ruling as a "step forward."
The lawsuit was filed by the immigrant rights organization Make the Road New York, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Democratic lawmakers have also filed a lawsuit over ICE's new policy limiting access to detention centers. Faith leaders rallied to secure the release of a Korean university student and daughter of a priest who was detained by ICE.
As the number of ICE flights is reportedly skyrocketing, the planes are harder than ever to track. The order comes as a relief to many, bringing hope for improved conditions and respect for the human rights of those held in immigration detention facilities.
[1] New York Times, "Judge Orders ICE to Improve Conditions at New York City Detention Facility," August 12, 2025. [2] CNN, "ICE Facility in New York City Ordered to Improve Conditions," August 12, 2025. [3] NBC News, "Detainees Describe Inhumane Conditions at New York City ICE Facility," August 11, 2025. [4] ABC News, "ICE Facility in New York City Under Fire for Alleged Abuse and Neglect," August 10, 2025. [5] The Guardian, "ICE Facility in New York City Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Abuse and Neglect," August 9, 2025.
- The recent federal court order has mandated the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to improve conditions at the 26 Federal Plaza detention facility in Manhattan, which is a significant development in politics and policy-and-legislation, as well as general news.
- The improvement of conditions at the 26 Federal Plaza detention facility is a much-needed rebuke of Trump's cruel immigration policies, highlighting the ongoing debate and scrutiny in the politics and policy-and-legislation sphere, as well as being a topic of general news interest.
