A federal judge in New York has banned US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting immigrants in or around three federal courthouses in lower Manhattan, where vigorous confrontations have played out since the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency.
Under an order issued on Monday by P Kevin Castel, a US district judge, federal agents are no longer allowed to make arrests of immigrants except under exceptional circumstances at the sites where hearings are held before immigration judges.
Castel’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road NY and other groups.
So they will just wait outside and take them there. This isn’t stopping them.
They have ways, nyc courthouses are on extremely busy streets, they have exits on all four sides, and immigration advocates have ways of shuttling them in and out of the buildings. The problem is when they have to stand in an open courtoom and state their name and ice is sitting in the gallery stalking people.
When, not if, they do it anyway - arrest them.
Charge them.
Apply consequences.
