by NEW YORK — What was supposed to be a routine immigration check-in turned into a wave of arrests in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, as federal agents detained numerous immigrants at an office where they were required to report.
The arrests occurred at a basement-level office operated by BI Inc., a private contractor and subsidiary of prison giant GEO Group. BI Inc. oversees the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), requiring individuals in deportation proceedings to report regularly—usually with weeks of notice.
But this week, that changed.
Dozens of people received sudden alerts through BI Inc.’s phone app late Monday, instructing them to appear either Tuesday or Wednesday. The message, reviewed by THE CITY, read:
“Your ICE official has asked that you present yourself in the office to review your case this week. Please arrive at the office Tuesday the 3rd, or Wednesday the 4th of June. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.”
On Tuesday, THE CITY observed at least 16 individuals being led from the building in handcuffs by masked, plainclothes ICE officers. The agents emerged at regular intervals—about every hour—escorting four people at a time into waiting SUVs. The vehicles then transported the detainees across the street to 26 Federal Plaza, ICE’s New York field office.
The arrests were carried out without public explanation. ICE agents on the scene declined to identify themselves, and the agency did not respond to THE CITY’s request for comment.
Some individuals who showed up were not detained. Instead, they were instructed to return at a later date. But others, including three women, said they were told to come back Wednesday—this time with their children. That request raised alarm among advocates.
“That is unlike anything I’ve ever heard,” said Yasmine Farhang, an attorney with the Immigrant Defense Project. Farhang noted that lawyers are no longer allowed to accompany clients inside the BI Inc. office, making individuals even more vulnerable.
A THE CITY reporter who entered the office was quickly asked to leave by an unidentified staffer, who provided a press contact for GEO Group. The company did not respond to a request for comment.
An Escalation in Tactics
While arrests during immigration check-ins have occurred sporadically in the past—particularly under the Trump administration—Tuesday’s operation appears to be the first large-scale, coordinated sweep at a check-in site in New York City.
The crackdown coincided with continued arrests at immigration courthouses. THE CITY spoke with several distraught family members outside 26 Federal Plaza who were left scrambling for information after loved ones were detained.
One man said he and his brother had both entered the courthouse for separate hearings. His brother was taken into custody; he was allowed to leave.
“I guess I have to go home by myself,” he said in Spanish, sitting alone in Foley Square. He added that he’d been given another court date next month but didn’t plan to return.
“I’m not coming back,” he said.
Farhang said the arrests mark a troubling escalation.
“ICE is expanding its use of ‘courthouse traps’ to other government-mandated locations,” she said. “These are places where people are legally required to appear, and they’re often denied the ability to bring legal counsel with them. That makes it even more dangerous.”
As the Biden administration continues to grapple with immigration policy, Tuesday’s arrests raise serious questions about the balance between enforcement and due process—and about the use of private contractors to carry out federal deportation policy.
