A federal judge issued an order indefinitely banning ICE agents from arresting immigrants attending court-ordered hearings at Federal Plaza. Despite the order, masked ICE agents arrested a Honduran immigrant the day before. Brad Lander, a former City Comptroller running for Congress, visited the Lower Manhattan ICE facility with a copy of the stay and told agents they were risking serious legal jeopardy by violating the order and the Constitution. He framed the visit as a “know your rights” exercise and warned that abducting peaceful individuals attending hearings would violate civil rights. On the day of the visit, the immigration court appeared free of ICE activity, though it could resume later.
"ICE agents said they don't care about a judge's order banning them from arresting immigrants at Federal Plaza. But one advocate and former elected official decided to try and make them care. Former City Comptroller Brad Lander, now running for Congress, arrived at the Lower Manhattan facility after 9 a.m. on May 20, fuming and brandishing a copy of the stay issued by federal Judge Kevin Castel."
"“I brought a stack of the judge's order, and I thought that if there were ICE agents in the hallways, that I would just hand it to them and we've been giving out know your rights materials all year, and I want to make sure you know your rights, because violating a judge's order, violating the Constitution, would put you in very serious legal jeopardy,” Lander said. “If you would choose to violate the civil rights of the peaceful individuals who have come here for their hearing in front of a judge, and you grab and abduct them in violation of this order, you would be in very serious legal jeopardy.”"
"Although Lander said he was prepared to face off with masked ICE agents after they were spotted on several floors of 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway a day prior, the federal immigration court was empty of ICE activity on Wednesday. “It could start again tomorrow morning. All we know is that we did not see them here this morning,” Lander added. Instead, the former comptroller who was infamously arrested by ICE agents last year while advocating for immigrants attending hearings sat in on a court hearing on Wednesday."
Read at www.amny.com
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