Editor’s Note: The Latino Newsletter will be closed on Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. We will be back on Friday, June 20.

NEW YORK — Over the past two weeks, protests have taken place in response to the Los Angeles demonstrations and a rise in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions and deportations. Demonstrations have been held at 26 Federal Plaza, Foley Square, and outside Trump Tower, with participants calling for an end to arrests and increased immigration enforcement.

On Sunday, President Trump posted on Truth Social, directing ICE to launch what he called the “single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” specifically targeting Democratic-led cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The directive followed weeks of large-scale arrests nationwide, including reports of asylum-seekers being detained in courtrooms.

In New York, ICE has been detaining people during scheduled check-ins and routine hearings. Some clients were asked to report in person and detained upon arrival by masked agents. Places once considered safe or neutral, such as court buildings, are now being used for enforcement purposes. Advocates and legal groups say these tactics have increased fear among immigrant communities and fueled ongoing protests across the city.

Local groups have organized recurring protests outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, where an ICE field office is located. The building has become a central site of protest, with activists alleging that migrants are being detained on one of the upper floors. The largest demonstration so far took place last week on June 10, when thousands gathered to call for an end to deportations and to express solidarity with protests in Los Angeles. Organizers also urged city leaders to end contracts with ICE and reaffirm New York’s status as a sanctuary city.

Activists have also raised concerns about the alleged conditions of detained migrants at 26 Federal Plaza. Before the June 10 protest, two Democratic members of Congress, Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velázquez, said they were denied access to the detention center in Lower Manhattan.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement denying that the federal building is being used as a detention center. “26 Federal Plaza is not a detention center. It is a Federal building with an ICE office inside of it,” the agency said. “These two members of Congress showed up unannounced and demanded entry while law enforcement operations were being conducted. They were told by ICE that they would be happy to give them a tour with a little more notice, when it would not disrupt ongoing law enforcement activities, and sensitive law enforcement items could be put away. We will always prioritize the safety of our officers and operations.”

Protest activity has also taken place at Trump Tower and Foley Square. In response, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been arresting demonstrators, drawing criticism from legal observers and advocacy groups.

DHS praised the police response in a post on X, referring to those arrested as “rioters.”

President Trump has stated that he will not deploy the National Guard to New York as long as local police “keep protesters from acting out.” Critics have interpreted the statement as a warning that federal intervention remains an option if city officials fail to maintain control.

On Tuesday, ICE agents detained New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander outside immigration court, where he was accompanying a defendant. Lander has regularly appeared at 26 Federal Plaza to support individuals attending hearings. In video footage of the incident, he is heard telling agents, “You do not have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens.”

The Department of Homeland Security later stated that Lander had been “arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer,” adding, “No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”

Lander denied the allegations and was released without charges.

Afterward, he told reporters, “We are normalizing family separation.”

Asma Barakat is a freelance journalist based in NYC, covering politics and society. 

Pew Says Public Is Split: From Pew Research, “As the Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement around the country, Americans offer mixed to negative views of some of its most high-profile actions.”

NAHJ Condemns Arrest: From the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), which says that the organization “condemns the arrest of journalist Mario Guevara while covering a protest in metro Atlanta and his subsequent transfer into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody—an alarming affront to press freedom and due process in the United States.”

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