Judge Castel Bans ICE Arrests at 3 Manhattan Courthouses After 2025 Policy Error
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 19
Judge Castel Bans ICE Arrests at 3 Manhattan Courthouses After 2025 Policy Error
6 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 19
Three lower Manhattan sites—26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street and 290 Broadway—can no longer be used for routine ICE arrests under Judge P. Kevin Castel’s 15-page order.
Castel said the government recently reversed course and acknowledged its 2025 courthouse-arrest policy did not apply to immigration courts, prompting him to correct what he called a clear error and prevent manifest injustice.
The order restores April 2021 limits, while still allowing arrests for serious public-safety threats or at locations away from immigration courts.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit by the NYCLU, ACLU, Make the Road NY and other groups, which argued courthouse arrests scared immigrants away from required hearings and asylum claims.
It applies only in Manhattan, where arrests at 26 Federal Plaza had fueled protests and standoffs as scrutiny of ICE tactics intensified ahead of the fall midterm elections.
With NYC courts now largely a 'safe zone,' how will this decision reshape immigration enforcement tactics across the country?
A key immigration policy was based on a government 'error.' How can the system prevent such mistakes from affecting thousands again?
DOJ Admits False Claims on ICE Courthouse Arrests: Judge Castel’s Ruling Reshapes Immigration Enforcement in New York City
Overview
On May 18, 2026, U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel issued a major ruling that largely stops ICE from making arrests inside New York City immigration courts, abruptly ending a controversial Trump-era policy. This decision followed the Department of Justice’s admission that it had repeatedly and incorrectly cited a May 2025 ICE memo, based on false information from ICE attorneys. The DOJ’s admission undermined the legal defense of courthouse arrests, which legal experts had long warned could violate civil liberties. Judge Castel’s ruling highlights the importance of accurate information in court and sets a strong precedent for accountability in federal enforcement.