NYC Officials Arrested at ICE Facility Protest
Above: Activists were arrested by NYPD officers outside the federal immigration courts in Lower Manhattan on Sept. 18, 2025. Image copyright: Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Arresting elected officials has become the go-to move by the Trump administration in an attempt to hide the conditions at these detainment centers from the public eye. When government agencies refuse transparency while holding people in unacceptable conditions, civil disobedience becomes a moral imperative to defend basic human dignity.
Republican narrative
This publicity stunt by activist politicians who know better put law enforcement in danger. These local officials showed up unannounced and caused chaos where ICE is lawfully detaining individuals with terrible criminal records in a processing facility. Law enforcement was left with no choice but to make these arrests.