Immigration enforcement officials have arrested at least five individuals at Manhattan immigration courts since May 18, when a federal judge issued an order restricting such detentions to specific circumstances involving national security or public safety threats.
The arrests have occurred at two Manhattan immigration court locations – 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway – despite U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel’s ruling that courthouse arrests should only happen under enumerated circumstances. The judge determined that such arrests could discourage immigrants from attending their mandatory court proceedings.
According to court filings, immigration enforcement officials justify these arrests by citing security concerns related to protests that have emerged in response to immigration enforcement activities. Roberto Rodriguez, Acting Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer, stated in a declaration filed Monday that arrests in sanctuary cities tend to trigger protests and intervention from bystanders, making alternative arrest locations unsafe.
Rodriguez argued that immigration courts represent one of the safest locations for conducting arrests because visitors to 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway undergo security screening by personnel and Federal Protective Services. This security infrastructure, he contended, ensures both public and officer safety during arrest operations.
The first arrest following Judge Castel’s order occurred on May 19, less than 24 hours after the ruling was issued. A 21-year-old Honduran man named Vinyl Alexander Castillo-Norales was detained at 26 Federal Plaza and released hours later. Officials claimed Castillo-Norales posed a public safety threat based on criminal history, though they provided no specific details. In a habeas petition challenging his detention, Castillo-Norales stated he had no criminal convictions.
Subsequent arrests followed a similar pattern. Jose German Carchi Lopez was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza on June 25, with officials stating there was no safe alternative location for the arrest. On June 29, Esdras Nehemias Velasquez Ajpop was detained at 290 Broadway. Officer Jose Camacho justified this arrest by asserting that large arrests in major urban areas trigger protests and public intervention that could endanger bystanders, officers, and arrestees.
The enforcement actions have drawn criticism from immigrant rights organizations, who view them as violations of Judge Castel’s order. These groups are seeking court enforcement of the May ruling against the immigration agency.
Judge Castel, appointed by George W. Bush, had initially permitted courthouse arrests based on what was described as an internal guidance memo from 2025. However, he reversed his position in May after federal prosecutors revealed that immigration officials had misled them about the memo, which never actually applied to arrests at immigration courts.
The controversy expanded beyond New York in June when a federal judge in California issued a nationwide order prohibiting immigration enforcement from arresting noncitizens at immigration courthouses. This broader ruling built upon Judge Castel’s decision and extended similar protections across the country.
The ongoing arrests raise questions about whether citing protest-related security concerns constitutes sufficient justification under the court’s narrow exceptions for courthouse detentions. Judge Castel is expected to address whether these recent arrests comply with his order.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement priorities and judicial efforts to ensure access to court proceedings for all individuals with pending cases.
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