ICE Officers Assault Journalists at Federal Plaza, One Hospitalized

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were caught on video Tuesday shoving journalists to the floor inside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, leaving one photographer hospitalized. The incident occurred as reporters documented routine immigrant detentions at asylum hearings, a practice that has drawn increasing scrutiny since it began earlier this year under the Trump administration.

Video shows two women escorted by masked ICE officers into an elevator when a man attempted to enter as well. Officers can be heard shouting, “Get out of the f****** elevator,” before forcibly removing him. Moments later, a masked officer shoved photojournalist Olga Fedorova, sending her and another photographer sprawling. Witnesses say one of the journalists lay on the floor for half an hour before being carried out on a stretcher and taken to the hospital in a neck brace.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended its officers, saying they were “swarmed by agitators and members of the press” and accused “rioters and sanctuary politicians” of creating unsafe conditions. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin pointed to previous threats against ICE facilities, including a powder scare in New York and a recent shooting in Dallas, as justification for heightened security concerns. Fedorova, however, disputed the agency’s account, saying there was no warning before the shoving began and accusing ICE of escalating violence against journalists.

The altercation drew swift condemnation from New York leaders. Gov. Kathy Hochul denounced the agents’ actions, asking, “What the hell are we doing here?” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the incident “a violent assault by masked agents” and said ICE has been “shamefully corrupted to focus more on bullying Americans than defending national security.” New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams went further, calling the agents “unaccountable masked secret police” and urging the NYPD to explore options to curb further violence.

Tuesday’s clash came less than a week after another video from the same building went viral, showing an ICE officer shoving a woman to the ground as she begged for information about her detained husband. Although the agency initially suspended the officer, he was reinstated just days later. Critics argue that this decision signaled tolerance for aggression and emboldened agents to escalate force against civilians and the press.

Immigrant advocates say the incidents at Federal Plaza reflect a broader pattern of excessive force and lack of accountability. “There is no incident that should call for this level of violence against people who are witnessing the cruelty of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda,” said Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition. “Every single person deserves dignity and respect. What we’re seeing is ICE operating in rogue fashion, above the law.”