Federal judge blasts ICE over "inhumane" NYC detention conditions

A federal judge slammed ICE for what he called "inhumane and unconstitutional" conditions at a New York City detention center and issued a permanent injunction imposing sweeping standards on the facility. Why it matters: The ruling echoes other court decisions tied to President Trump's rapid expansion of immigration arrests and detention. Kaplan found that ICE had repeatedly ignored his previous orders and misled the court about its compliance, saying officials had sometimes "intentionally concealed or recklessly disregarded the truth." What they're saying: "The conditions of confinement to which ICE subjected immigration detainees at 26 Fed during the summer of 2025 were inhumane and unconstitutional," U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in a scathing 127-page opinion. "By detaining far more persons in the hold rooms than ever was intended and for far longer than ever was intended, ICE objectively deprived detainees of sleep, sanitary living conditions, basic personal hygiene needs, sufficient food and water, and adequate medical care." Catch up quick: The holding rooms at 26 Federal Plaza in NYC are meant to be short-term facilities that house detained immigrants for "12 hours or less," but ICE routinely held people for extended periods. "Fed 26 is not unique," Kaplan wrote, noting that "comparable litigation" has been brought against other facilities. 26 Federal Plaza's immigration court and the Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Zoom in: Kaplan said the "overwhelmed" center "confined many of those arrested in overcrowded, squalid, and degrading rooms for excessive periods of time." He also noted that detained immigrants were "severely restricted" from accessing counsel in a "meaningful way," and that those who were able to make phone calls could do so for only a few minutes at a time. ICE staff or contractors were typically close enough to overhear phone conversations, leaving at least one person "fearful and powerless" and scared of "speak[ing] freely." The intrigue: Kaplan said ICE's disregard of previous court-ordered capacity limits had been "persistent, egregious, and, at a minimum, reckless, if not willful." What's inside: The court's permanent injunction requires ICE to provide at least 50 square feet of qualifying floor space per person — excluding space within eight feet of a toilet — and keep hold rooms between 68 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Kaplan also required ICE to provide detainees three daily meals, each with bottled water, and adequate supplies of soap, toilet paper, and oral and feminine hygiene products. Immigrants held overnight must receive a clean bedding mat or mattress, pillow and blanket. He also directed ICE to keep a licensed medical professional on-site at all times, and provide detainees with a basic medical screening to identify and begin treating any acute or chronic medical conditions. ICE must also give immigrants a way to make confidential, unmonitored and free telephone calls to their attorneys or potential attorneys. Zoom out: The ruling highlights growing tensions between the courts and Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. The administration insists that nearly all unlawfully present noncitizens it arrests are incarcerated pending removal proceedings, putting the policy on a collision course with limited detention capacity. More than 300 judges have rebuffed Trump's mandatory detention policy, with many ruling it is illegal or unconstitutional. Some immigration advocates say the goal is likely to make detention so brutal that immigrants are willing to self-deport immediately rather than endure harsh conditions for years while fighting their cases. Go deeper: Trump's mandatory detention policy fails in Florida appeals court

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