Woman detained at ICE check-in, denied diabetes medicine in overcrowded Manhattan facility
Jun 1, 2026·Location: New York, NY

Nuvia Martinez was detained after attending a routine ICE check-in appointment at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan and held in severely overcrowded conditions for days. Martinez, who has diabetes, was denied access to her required medication despite medical need. She described the facility—designed to hold people for only 12 hours—as holding dozens of detainees in small rooms with no beds or full-time medical staff. In sworn testimony, Martinez reported that women who were menstruating were bleeding through their clothes, almost no food was provided, there were no showers available, and detainees had no access to basic hygiene. She stated: "I was just a body that they crammed into a room, almost as if to be forgotten." The detention occurred as ICE arrests surged.
Sources
- Washington Post
- New York Times
- Documents reveal the true feelings of ICE officers at a NYC immigration facility
independent.co.uk·Jun 1, 2026·archived copy
independent.co.uk·Jun 1, 2026·archived copy
- ‘Like Dogs in Here’ — Videos Expose ICE Lockup Inside 26 Federal Plaza
thecityreporter.nyc·Jul 22, 2025·archived copy
- ICE Moved Detainees to Previously Undisclosed Floor of 26 Federal Plaza
thecityreporter.nyc·Feb 10, 2026·archived copy
- Judge Raises Shutting Down 26 Federal Plaza Detention as ICE Conditions Go on Trial
thenybeat.com·May 28, 2026·archived copy
- Federal Judge Questions US Officials Over Conditions at Manhattan Detention Facility
law.com·May 27, 2026·archived copy
More incidents in New York
- New York teen thrown to the ground, bloodied and abandoned by agentsOct 8, 2026 · NY
- Immigrants cram into DHS-run 'shadow court' room at 26 Federal PlazaOct 5, 2026 · New York, NY
- Bronx Man Wrongly Arrested by ICE After Agents Falsified Records, Judge FindsOct 5, 2026 · Bronx, NY
- ICE targets immigrants with longstanding protections for third-country deportation, advocates sayOct 5, 2026 · New York, NY
- US citizen teen tackled, bloodied by ICE in mistaken Bronx arrest; judge calls it illegalOct 5, 2026 · Bronx, NY
- Detainees at Batavia Facility to Include Women as ICE Expands CapacityOct 2, 2026 · Batavia, NY