Federal Judge Issues Permanent Injunction Against ICE Over 'Unconstitutional' NYC Detention Conditions

The federal government's authority to hold individuals pending civil immigration proceedings is strictly bound by the Fifth Amendment's guarantee against punitive confinement. On Thursday, September 24, 2026, a federal judge ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comprehensively failed that constitutional standard at its primary New York City processing center, issuing a permanent injunction against the agency's practices.[1][6]

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York delivered the final ruling regarding the ICE staging facility located at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. In his order, Hellerstein described the holding environment as "dreadful" and "squalid," permanently barring the agency from returning to the operational protocols that prompted the initial litigation.[1][2]

The facility serves as a temporary transit point where individuals arrested by ICE are processed before being transferred to longer-term detention centers in New Jersey or upstate New York. According to court filings, detainees were routinely held in windowless, overcrowded rooms for 24 hours or longer, far exceeding the intended processing timeframe.[3][6]

The lawsuit, spearheaded by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), presented evidence that the holding rooms lacked beds, blankets, or adequate temperature control. Detainees reported sleeping on concrete floors next to overflowing toilets, with no access to showers, soap, or adequate food during their confinement.[4][5]

ICE attorneys argued during the proceedings that the agency had already implemented voluntary improvements to the facility and that a permanent court order was unnecessary. The government maintained that logistical challenges, including transportation delays and the complex coordination required to move detainees to county jails, occasionally caused processing times to stretch beyond intended limits.[1][5]

Hellerstein rejected the government's defense, noting that voluntary, temporary fixes do not cure constitutional violations. The permanent injunction imposes strict operational ceilings on the facility. ICE is now legally prohibited from holding any individual in the processing rooms for more than 12 hours without providing a bed, and strict capacity limits must be maintained to prevent overcrowding.[2][3]

The ruling also mandates immediate access to basic hygiene supplies, potable water, and adequate meals for anyone held longer than a few hours. Compliance will be monitored by the court, and any deviation from the mandated standards could expose the agency to contempt proceedings.[4][6]

The decision marks a definitive conclusion to the litigation over the Manhattan facility and sets a clear legal precedent for short-term immigration processing centers nationwide. ICE now faces the immediate logistical burden of restructuring its New York operations to ensure no detainee breaches the court's strict time and capacity thresholds.[3][5]