ICE patrols Queens Criminal Courthouse without making an arrest Monday
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ICE agents made an arrest outside queens criminal court in january 2019. photo obtained from a source
By David Brand
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents patrolled the hallways and courtrooms of the Queens Criminal Courthouse on Monday, searching for at least one person for arrest and removal. The agents did not apprehend the person who they were targeting, however, according to an agency spokesperson.
Several defense attorneys working in the courthouse contacted the Eagle Monday about the presence of the ICE agents.
The agents worked for ICE’s “Enforcement and Removal Operations” team, an ICE spokesperson said. Those agents make arrests, transport undocumented immigrants to jail and work in detention facilities.
Agents were seen sitting in the courtroom known as Part AP2 for much of the morning, while another was seen outside Part AP4, according to defense attorneys. Other agents were seen near the exits of the courthouse.
At least seven people were arrested inside New York City courthouses last year, including one in Queens Criminal Court, according to the Office of Court Administration.
In April 2019, OCA issued a directive mandating that ICE agents present a signed judicial warrant and get it reviewed by a judge in the courthouse before making a courthouse arrest. Agents showed a warrant for each of the New York City courthouse arrests, OCA said.
OCA does not track arrests outside courthouses, where most arrests occur, however. A January report by the Immigrant Defense Project identified at least 203 courthouse ICE arrests and sightings statewide in 2019.
Queens accounted for the second highest number of any county in the state, with 34; Brooklyn was highest with 38.
At least 32 people were arrested by ICE agents in and around courthouses in Queens in 2018, IDP reported.
State Attorney General Letitia James and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez sued the federal government in September 2019 to prevent ICE activity at courthouses, arguing that the specter of ICE enforcement discourages victims, witnesses, defendants and respondents from attending court. James and Gonzalez, along with defense attorneys and immigrants’ rights organizations who filed a separate lawsuit, said the federal law enforcement agency is also encroaching on state sovereignty.
The presence of ICE in court “disrupts the effective functioning of our courts, deters victims and witnesses from assisting law enforcement and vindicating their rights, hinders criminal prosecution, and undermines public safety,” James and Gonzalez wrote in their lawsuit.
State lawmakers are considering a piece of legislation known as the “Protect Our Courts Act,” which would prevent ICE agents from making arrests in and around courthouses. The bill has majority support in both chambers of the state legislature and is backed by four of New York City’s five district attorneys.
New Queens DA Melinda Katz said last year that she supports the measure.
