Inside the Deportation Crisis: Eyewitness Accounts from New York City

Sat Oct 11 2025 20:23:59 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Amidst rising tensions surrounding immigration policy, New York City's 26 Federal Plaza has become the epicenter of dramatic deportation scenarios, as families face aggressive detentions by immigration officers. Eyewitnesses describe traumatic encounters, raising questions about the treatment of immigrants in the US.

This article delves into the mounting tension at New York City's immigration courts, where families are witnessing aggressive detentions. Eyewitness Monica Moreta Galarza recounts a traumatic incident involving her husband's detention, highlighting the emotional toll on families amidst the ongoing deportation crisis. Legal experts and advocates express concern over the government's practices and the implications for immigrants seeking justice in the courts.

Monica Moreta Galarza felt relieved after her husband's routine immigration hearing at New York City's 26 Federal Plaza.

A judge had ordered Rubén Abelardo Ortiz López to return to court in May, and she believed that meant a reprieve from his potential deportation to Ecuador. Instead, as soon as they stepped out of the courtroom with their children, she was torn from her husband's arms and thrown to the ground by immigration officers as they detained him.

One of them charged at me so aggressively that I was terrified, and he ended up throwing me to the ground, Ms Moreta Galarza told BBC News Mundo in Spanish. They treated us like animals.

The incident, which has since gone viral, led to one immigration agent being temporarily suspended. But it is not an isolated occurrence. The BBC witnessed similar incidents at the courthouse, while others – including an aggressive encounter between Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the media – have sparked public outcry.

ICE's operations inside the building have created a charged, tense environment, attorneys said.

I would honestly sum it up as just traumatic, said Allison Cutler, a New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) attorney who works at 26 Federal Plaza.

While many of the detentions at 26 Federal Plaza are swift and non-violent, reporters and lawyers have witnessed several chaotic episodes in recent weeks.

Legal experts say this is an abuse of the courts system and puts immigrants into an impossible position. If they turn up for court hearings, as they are instructed to do, they could be arrested. But if they skip their court date, a judge could automatically order their deportation.

The government argues it has broad authority to detain people who are in the US illegally while asserting that the measures are necessary for public safety and national security.

Yet for many families like Ms. Moreta Galarza's, the harsh reality of living under the threat of deportation is haunting and disheartening, raising significant ethical concerns about the treatment of immigrants in the US.