One Hundred NYC Immigrants Arrested in Week One of Trump ICE Raids
Operating in Darkness
Over 100 people in the New York City area were detained by federal authorities over the past week, new data obtained by THE CITY reveals, part of a broad, multi-agency sweep that has sent shockwaves across immigration communities nationwide.
A spokesperson for one of the agencies involved, Kenneth M. Heino of the New York Division of the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, said that teams of federal agents had arrested around 100 people in New York City and the surrounding area by Tuesday evening.
While a handful of those arrests have made headlines, little is known about where many of those arrested are being detained. New York City-based immigration lawyers told THE CITY that they are struggling to locate many of them, and they fear the situation is only going to get worse as the Trump administration begins shipping people to far off sites.
Detention Facilities
Typically, people detained by ICE in New York City are sent to Orange County jail in Goshen, N.Y. where about 70 ICE detainees have been held in recent months, or the much larger Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania, which holds about 1,200 detainees on an average day. Some are also taken to a warehouse-like lockup in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Information Blackout
ICE hasn’t issued a single press release with details about the New York City detentions, and the local field office hasn’t returned repeated calls and emails requesting comment since the raids began.
Local Democrats Left in the Dark
Local Democrats have also been iced out of lines of communication. On Monday, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, said he’d had no contact with ICE on their recent activity in the region.
A Breakdown of the Arrests
In an interview with THE CITY Friday afternoon, the DEA’s Special Agent in Charge, Frank Tarentino, one of the various federal agencies involved in the immigration efforts, acknowledged the joint-agency teams don’t exclusively arrest people suspected of criminal activity.
"The reality in which we are operating is, we target the violent, illegal criminal, but we may encounter people that have immigration status issues," Tarentino said. "The unintended consequence of going in there is you find others that maybe have immigration issues and it’s our responsibility as law enforcement officers, law enforcement professionals, to ensure that we exercise the rule of law."
Tarentino’s office was unable to provide a breakdown how many of the around 100 arrests made by the task forces were of people with underlying criminal offenses and how many had civil immigration violations.
The Legal Landscape
Migrants detained by ICE are first sent to an arraignment type court hearing at one of two sites in lower Manhattan. The court does not provide free representation, so only about 25% of people have a lawyer, according to advocacy groups.
If they remain detained after the hearing, people are typically then sent to Orange County, Moshannon or Elizabeth.
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s ICE raids have sent shockwaves across immigration communities in New York City, leaving many with more questions than answers. The lack of transparency and communication from ICE and the DEA has only added to the confusion and fear among those affected. As the situation continues to unfold, it is essential that lawmakers and advocates work together to ensure that the rights of all individuals are protected.
FAQs
Q: How many people were arrested in the ICE raids in New York City?
A: According to new data obtained by THE CITY, around 100 people were arrested in the past week.
Q: Where are the arrested individuals being detained?
A: Typically, people detained by ICE in New York City are sent to Orange County jail, Moshannon Valley Processing Center, or a warehouse-like lockup in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Q: Have any ICE press releases been issued about the arrests?
A: No, ICE has not issued a single press release with details about the New York City detentions.
Q: Have local Democrats been kept informed about the ICE raids?
A: No, local Democrats have been iced out of lines of communication, with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries saying he had no contact with ICE on their recent activity in the region.
