U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel issued a ruling on May 19, 2026, prohibiting ICE from making arrests at three Manhattan immigration courthouse buildings (26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway) except in cases involving serious public safety threats, national security concerns, or imminent violence. The decision reversed a Trump administration practice that had resulted in hundreds of undocumented immigrants being detained during mandatory court check-ins, often separating them from family members. Federal prosecutors acknowledged they had misled the court, relying on erroneous information from ICE that cited a May 2025 guidance memo applying only to criminal courts to justify the expanded enforcement actions at immigration courts. The ruling was brought by civil rights organizations including the New York Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union, Make the Road NY, African Communities Together, and The Door. One day after the ruling, a 21-year-old man was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza, raising questions about compliance; the New York Legal Assistance Group said it would seek his release and stationed lawyers in the courthouse hallways to monitor for such arrests.