ICE directed to enhance detention conditions following NYC immigrants' allegations of maltreatment

The immigration holding facility at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan is currently facing severe issues with overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of access to essential amenities such as showers, medical care, adequate hygiene, and legal counsel.

Detainees have reported being held for days or weeks in small rooms, often with 70 to 90 people crammed into about 215 square feet, forced to sleep on concrete floors without beds or proper privacy, and limited to only a few toilets that are in open view.

In response to these grim conditions, a federal judge issued a temporary order in August 2025, mandating immediate improvements. The order requires the administration to:

Reduce overcrowding, ensuring no fewer than 50 square feet per detainee
Provide hygiene products and allow access to showers and clean clothes
Ensure detainees can make free, confidential, and unmonitored phone calls to their lawyers within 24 hours
Improve access to medical care and sleeping mats

Despite these orders, outside doctors attempting to inspect the facility were denied access, suggesting continued resistance to transparency. Advocacy groups, including the ACLU and New York Civil Liberties Union, have filed class action lawsuits against the Trump administration over these conditions and lack of legal access.

Sergio Barco Mercado, the named plaintiff in the lawsuit, was held at 26 Federal Plaza for two days last week after his arrest there while leaving an immigration court hearing. He described his hold room as "extremely crowded," cold, and smelling of sewage, which exacerbated a tooth infection that swelled his face and altered his speech. Barco Mercado also stated that there were times when he did not get enough water and that a guard would sometimes hold a bottle of water up and make detainees wait to have him squirt some into their mouths.

Another detainee, Carlos Lopez Benitez, said he fled violence in Paraguay in 2023 and was seeking asylum in the U.S. when he was arrested in July while leaving an immigration hearing. Lopez Benitez also stated that an officer showed him a cellphone photo of his arrest and mocked him for crying. He also complained of lacking soap, toothbrushes, and other hygiene products, being fed inedible food, and enduring the "horrific stench" of sweat, urine, and feces due to open toilets.

Nancy Zanello, of ICE's New York City Field Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, stated that hygiene products, including soap, teeth cleaning wipes, and feminine products, are available in each room. However, detainees have reported a lack of these essential items, raising concerns about the facility's compliance with the judge's orders.

The judge also ordered the government to thoroughly clean the cells three times a day and provide an adequate supply of hygiene products. Full compliance and independent oversight remain ongoing concerns.

[1] The New York Times. (2025, August 20). Judge Orders U.S. to Improve Conditions at New York City Immigration Facility. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/nyregion/judge-orders-us-to-improve-conditions-at-new-york-city-immigration-facility.html

[2] CNN. (2025, August 20). Judge orders Trump administration to improve conditions at NYC immigration detention facility. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/20/us/new-york-city-immigration-detention-conditions/index.html

[3] ABC News. (2025, August 21). Judge Orders U.S. to Improve Conditions at New York City Immigration Detention Facility. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-orders-us-improve-conditions-new-york-city-73838644

[4] The Washington Post. (2025, August 20). Judge orders U.S. to improve conditions at New York City immigration detention facility. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2025/08/20/judge-orders-us-improve-conditions-new-york-city-immigration-detention-facility/

[5] The Guardian. (2025, August 20). Judge orders Trump administration to improve conditions at New York City immigration detention facility. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/20/judge-orders-trump-administration-to-improve-conditions-at-new-york-city-immigration-detention-facility