Federal judge issues permanent injunction against ICE detention conditions in New York

A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding the conditions of its holding cells at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ruled that the conditions provided to detainees were “inhumane and unconstitutional.”

The ruling follows a spike in ICE arrests in the summer of 2025, which saw the number of detainees in the agency’s tenth-floor hold rooms increase from fewer than 10 to between 40 and 70 people at a time. Judge Kaplan found that ICE subjected detainees to overcrowded, squalid, and degrading environments for periods exceeding 72 hours.

Specific findings included detainees being denied adequate sleep, medical care, and legal counsel. Reports indicated that detainees were forced to sleep on aluminum or mylar sheets on concrete floors without cots, pillows, or blankets. Additionally, the court noted issues with insufficient food and water, lack of hygiene products, and extreme temperature fluctuations within the rooms. The injunction permanently caps the number of detainees allowed in the facility and mandates the provision of sanitary products, three meals a day, and access to lawyers.