‘They’re shackled by their arms, their legs and their waist’: Congressman Dan Goldman details horrific ICE conditions
Congressman Dan Goldman detailed on Tuesday the horrific conditions that detained immigrants say they are living in on the 10th floor of Federal Plaza.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Congressman Dan Goldman detailed on Tuesday the horrific conditions that detained immigrants say they are living in on the 10th floor of Federal Plaza.
When immigrants arrive for their scheduled court proceedings and are ultimately arrested by ICE, they disappear to the 10th floor by either being stuffed into an elevator or being marched down a staircase. What exactly happens thereafter is not exactly clear.
As previously reported by amNewYork, in an effort to reach a desired number of detentions, ICE has been arresting individuals with active cases and even some by mistake. Goldman says he has spoken to those who spent time on the 10th floor and were released, sharing their tales of woe.
“There are 100 people in cramped holding cells, very little access to food and water, no beds, no showers, one toilet, shared among 20 or 30 or even more, with very little privacy — no change of clothes,” Goldman declared. “It absolutely reeks inside, and nobody is being told why they are there.”
On June 18 Goldman was turned away when he attempted to inspect the conditions on the 10th floor. This led to a debate with Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce, who refused to call it a detention center since he stated that the Feds are only temporarily housing immigrants. Now, however, Goldman declared that those being detained have been left to languish for weeks.
“They’re shackled by their arms, their legs and their waist. Remember, these are people going to court for a civil immigration case, and they’re being shackled as if they’re alleged murderers,” Goldman said. “What we’re talking about here is not just these draconian measures, not just this military state, not just the secret police abducting non-criminal, non-violent immigrants, trying to do things the right way. We are talking about illegal deportations, a whole nother level of illegality, illegal deportations.”
Goldman also sought to sound the alarm on the recent passage of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which he charged would only strengthen ICE’s iron grip on deportations through massive funding of $175 billion.
“That includes bonuses for every ICE agent that is waiting there to yank someone from court,” Goldman said, pointing out that 40% of New Yorkers are immigrants. “They are now literally arresting people who are coming to court, who are following the law, who are doing things the right way. These are the exact opposite of convicted criminals and worse of the worst that Donald Trump said he was going to deport.”
