and refugee rights groups throughout New York, says that new video shows inhumane conditions inside a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan.

“Today, newly released video shows what immigrant New Yorkers have been telling their families and attorneys for months: the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza is an ICE detention facility,” said NYIC Wednesday. “ICE has repeatedly claimed that the 10th Floor is not subject to Congressional oversight because it is classified as a holding centre.”

US Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin insisted that “26 Federal Plaza is not a detention centre. It is a Federal building with an ICE law enforcement office inside of it." But NYIC said the video backs up what has been widely communicated by people inside: “They are detained there for days and weeks at a time without showers, medication or a change of clothes, sleeping on the floor, and with minimal food and outside contact.” Assistant Secretary McLaughlin has also said that, “any claim that there is overcrowding or sub-prime conditions is categorically false.”

However, NYIC said the video shows that Caribbean and other immigrants detained on the 10th floor are being held in crowded and unsanitary conditions. NYIC said that, “on May 20, federal agents began making arrests and disappearing people after they left their immigration court cases at 26 Federal Plaza, 290 Broadway, and 201 Varick Street.” Starting on June 8, NYIC said US Congressmembers Nydia Velazquez Velázquez , Adriano Espaillat, Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler have been “categorically denied their legal authority to view the detention facility on multiple attempted visits.” (Jamaica Gleaner)