O Comptroller, My Comptroller

"On Thursday, eleven elected officials entered 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration office in Manhattan, where they demanded to see the 10th-floor facilities-instead, they were arrested and each was issued a Class C misdemeanor violation. They wanted to know whether DHS was complying with a ruling last month, in which a federal judge demanded the facilities be urgently improved because of a lack of hygienic products, inedible "slop," and a "horrific stench.""

"Though a sanctuary city, New York has been a target flashpoint for much of the Trump administration's anti-immigration animus, tying back to his campaign promise to deport 15-20 million people. Per ICE data, nearly 2,800 people in New York were detained by ICE in the first seven months of 2025-a sixfold jump compared to all of last year. Sen. Salazar told the New York Focus she'd felt "responsibility as an official...to escalate non-violently in response when the federal government is kidnapping [her] neighbors and trying to disappear them.""

Eleven elected officials, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, entered 26 Federal Plaza to demand access to the 10th-floor ICE holding facilities and were arrested on Class C misdemeanor charges. A federal judge had ordered urgent improvements after finding lack of hygienic products, inedible "slop," and a "horrific stench," and later issued a preliminary injunction requiring continued fixes to prevent "unconstitutional and inhumane treatment." Each official faces up to 30 days in jail unless charges are dropped. Officials and demonstrators reported ICE agents using zip ties and duct tape to block inspections and laughing while doing so. ICE detentions in New York rose sharply in early 2025.

Read at Jezebel