Woman, handcuffed, holds 'ICE Out of NY' sign in her teeth as she is escorted out by police. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Woman, handcuffed, holds 'ICE Out of NY' sign in her teeth as she is escorted out by police. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
On a steamy, late summer afternoon in New York City, dozens of New Yorkers rallied together at 26 Federal Plaza to protest ICE and the poor living conditions that detained immigrants are enduring there.
Inside the building, chaos unfolded on the 10th floor as armed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers arrested 12 elected officials attempting to gain entry into the detention facilities. The officials, who included City Comptroller Brad Lander and State Senator Julia Salazar, refused to leave the dreary elevator bank until they were allowed in.
Instead, DHS officers locked the doors and duct-taped paper to the door windows, preventing any kind of access. Undeterred, demonstrators gathered, cross-legged on the floor and sang protest songs until they were ultimately arrested and removed from the premises.
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Outside, on Duane Street, dozens of anti-ICE protesters sat together, arm-in-arm, blocking a driveway that ICE uses to transport detainees. They held up bright, hand-painted signs and chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear! Immigrants are welcome here!”
After receiving warnings from the NYPD, police began handcuffing demonstrators with zip ties and arresting them on the spot. The 70 New Yorkers who were arrested — including faith leaders, doctors, and other activists — were then herded into police vans and booked at various precincts around the city.
The protest is only the latest escalation in the ongoing fight to remove ICE from New York City.
New Yorkers rally together against ICE outside Federal Plaza on Thursday September 18, 2025. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Woman holding a ‘ICE Out of NY’ sign sits cross-legged in the sun, outside Federal Plaza in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain.
Protesters, holding signs, sit cross-legged to block a garage that serves as a key entry and exit point for ICE vehicles at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Dozens of anti-ICE protesters chant and hold signs outside of 26 Federal Plaza in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Protesters sit, chant outside a garage entrance at Federal Plaza in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Officers carried dozens of zip ties, which were later used to restrain and arrest protesters. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams is handcuffed and arrested at Thursday’s anti-ICE protest at Federal Plaza in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
NYPD officer arrests and escorts two protesters away from the demonstration at Federal Plaza. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
NYPD officers handcuff and arrest a woman who was protesting outside 26 Federal Plaza. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Police officers handcuff a protester with zip ties. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Anti-ICE protester shouts as arrests begin at Federal Plaza. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Dozens of New Yorkers, including faith leaders, doctors and nearly 20 elected officials, protested outside 26 Federal Plaza. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Protester stands alongside NYPD officer, handcuffed with with makeshift zip ties. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
At least 12 elected officials and dozens of other New Yorkers were arrested by the Department of Homeland Security at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City on Thursday. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Anti-ICE protesters, handcuffed with zip ties, are loaded into a vehicle outside Federal Plaza, in New York City. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Amir Khafagy is an award-winning New York City-based journalist. He is currently a Report for America corps member with Documented. Much of Amir's beat explores the intersections of labor, race, class, and immigration.
Taurat Hossain (he/him) is a New York–based photographer working across fashion, commercial editorial, and long-form documentary projects. His work, featured in The Washington Post’s “Best Styles Photos of 2024,” has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. Commercial clients include New Balance, PopSugar, and Von Dutch, with recent commissions for Bloomberg Originals’ show Bullish.
