Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Faiza Ali toured 26 Federal Plaza on Thursday, coming face-to-face with ICE agents.
Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Faiza Ali toured 26 Federal Plaza on Thursday, coming face to face with masked ICE agents. Ali visited several floors of the immigration courthouse on May 14, observing the procedure immigrants go through while attending their legally mandated court hearings and the hurdles of coming up against federal agents waiting in the hallways.
The commissioner met with several respondents and sat in on the legal proceedings. During the visit, while on the 14th floor, Ali came upon several masked ICE agents who had spent the morning wandering the corridors. She called the interaction “deeply unsettling. ”who were simply trying to do what the system asks of them — show up for their hearings, follow the rules, and pursue legal pathways for themselves and their families.
Instead, they walked into an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,” Ali said.
“Watching masked enforcement agents move through the hallways and waiting areas of a building where families are expected to attend immigration proceedings was deeply unsettling. For many people there, what should have been a routine court appearance instead felt frightening and uncertain. ”For almost a year, 26 Federal Plaza has become the base of operations for ICE in the Big Apple.
During the summer of 2025, the courthouse saw mass arrests each day before they took to the streets and performed the infamous raid on Canal Street. In 2026, the ICE presence remains, and the detainments continue, albeit at a slower rate due to many immigrants being too scared to show up.
“That’s just another reason for us to pick them up off the streets,” he said. He also showed his contempt for several judges who are not sympathetic to ICE enforcement.
“The Judges are corrupted, they deserve to get fired,” he said, referring to the Trump administration removing a slew of judges in the facility. Ali also met with immigration advocates from Saint Peter’s Church, who offer legal support to detained individuals and was given the tour by attorney for the New York Legal Assistance Group, Benjamin Remy.
“This morning at 26 Federal Plaza, I met immigrant New Yorkers who were simply trying to do what the system asks of them — show up for their hearings, follow the rules, and pursue legal pathways for themselves and their families. Instead, they walked into an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,” Ali said.
“It was wonderful to have her down here, for her to be able to take a first hand look at what we see every day in the New York City immigration courts, and specifically here at 26 Federal Plaza, so she can really get up close and personal look at what we deal with in terms of immigration enforcement and having federal agents in the hallways,” Remy told amNewYork. According to Ali, the visit only reaffirmed the mayor’s office’s commitment to ensuring sanctuary city rights.
“I want to make clear that New York City is and will remain a sanctuary city – one that refuses to turn its back on people who call it home. This moment requires local government to back up sanctuary policies with real action,” Ali said.
“At the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, we will continue working closely with community partners, legal providers, and elected officials to ensure immigrant New Yorkers have access to trusted information, legal support, and the resources they need to navigate this moment with dignity and support. ”Dean Moses is the Police Bureau Chief at amNewYork and resident photographer. He leads coverage of the NYPD, crime, criminal justice, and breaking news. Photoville celebrates 15 years with citywide festival across Brooklyn and NYC
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