Judge Blocks ICE Agents From Conducting Arrests at Immigration Courts in New York

The judge said ICE agents are only allowed to make arrests at immigration courts when there are ‘serious threats of physical harm to public safety.’

An American flag sits in a thermostat at U.S. immigration court in Manhattan, New York, on Nov. 28, 2025. David 'Dee' Delgado/Reuters

A federal judge issued a ruling on May 18 barring federal agents from conducting arrests at three Manhattan immigration courts, except in limited circumstances.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups on behalf of The Door and African Communities Together, which sought to challenge U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies that allow federal agents to arrest people in immigration courts.