Masked immigration and federal law enforcement officers increasingly occupy immigration court hallways in lower Manhattan, creating visible shows of force. Eight months earlier, those courts were managed by the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), where judges oversee cases of people living in the country illegally. This summer, high-profile courthouses including 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway became centers of an administration effort to raise immigration arrests. Volunteers and advocates report more frequent arrests; one volunteer now witnesses arrests at weekly visits. Protests, clergy escorts, and clashes with officials have followed, and New York's mayor filed to stop courthouse arrests, saying the campaign deters hearings and erodes trust in law enforcement.
The halls of the immigration courts in lower Manhattan are quiet on a recent August day except for the sounds of five men wearing masks and sunglasses, looking at their phones and talking among themselves. They are immigration and federal law enforcement officers, continuing the show of force that has thrown immigration courts into chaos. Eight months ago, the courts were a little-known part of the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR),
Various groups protest outside the buildings, clergy members escort immigrants to hearings, and there are occasional arrests or clashes between law enforcement and elected officials. Last week, New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, filed a brief in court calling for an end to courthouse arrests by federal agencies. "This campaign has taken a heavy toll on our residents," the filing stated, adding that the strategy deters people from attending their mandatory hearings and weakens trust in law enforcement.
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