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Judge orders ICE to fix squalid detention conditions at NYC facility

Sep 24, 2026·Location: New York, NY

Judge orders ICE to fix squalid detention conditions at NYC facility
Photo via CBS News

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, later followed by a permanent injunction, requiring ICE to improve conditions at its 26 Federal Plaza detention facility in Manhattan. Detainees, including Sergio Alberto Barco Mercado, who filed a complaint after mass arrests at the site, were reportedly held on floors without beds, given only two meals a day, and denied hygiene products and access to legal counsel. The court found that ICE willfully violated prior orders and kept detainees in overcrowded rooms without adequate bedding, hygiene supplies, or proper temperature control. The rulings required ICE to provide sleeping mats, hygiene products, and legal access to those held at the facility.

Timeline

Sep 24, 2026—Federal judge issued permanent injunction finding ICE willfully violated prior orders and ordering fixes to overcrowded, unsanitary conditions following complaint by detainee Sergio Alberto Barco Mercado
Aug 12, 2025—Federal judge issued temporary restraining order requiring ICE to improve conditions at 26 Federal Plaza, including sleeping mats, hygiene products, and legal access
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