Native elected officers on July 14 referred to as on the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Division of Justice to instantly halt the consumption of immigrant detainees on the troubled Metropolitan Detention Heart in Sundown Park, calling the circumstances on the federal facility “inhumane” and “barbaric.”
At a press convention outdoors the infamous jail, U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-Brooklyn/Manhattan), joined state Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn), Meeting Member Robert Carroll (D-Brooklyn) and group activists in highlighting the inhumane circumstances on the facility whereas condemning the Trump administration for what they described as its illegal focusing on of immigrants for expedited deportation. Greater than 100 migrants arrested by ICE are at present being housed on the jail.
Goldman warned that the Trump administration’s mass deportation order was not solely unconstitutional but additionally positioned additional pressure on an already overburdened jail system.
The Metropolitan Detention Heart in Sundown Park homes greater than 100 immigrants detained by ICE brokers. Picture by Gabriele Holtermann
“One of the things that this new policy has done is create a shortage of places to hold these non-criminal, non-violent civilians who are trying to immigrate to this country, as so many have before,” Goldman mentioned. “What we have learned is that ICE and the federal government, in coordination with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons, is relocating immigration detainees to the MDC here.”
MDC, which at present homes high-profile inmates together with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Luigi Mangione, has lengthy been tormented by severe points, together with workers shortages, stabbings, killings, restricted entry to well being care and extended lockdowns. In 2019, an influence outage left prisoners with out warmth within the lifeless of winter, prompting nationwide outrage. In 2024, a federal choose described circumstances on the facility as “barbaric.”
“Yet, the Trump administration is now sending non-criminal, non-charged, non-violent immigrants, many of whom have ongoing asylum cases, to be detained in this place where federal judges will not send convicted criminals,” mentioned Goldman, who final week despatched an oversight letter of inquiry to BOP demanding solutions on its new interagency settlement with ICE to deal with greater than 100 immigration detainees at MDC.
Goldman described the Trump administration’s arrest of immigrants as “draconian, militarized immigration enforcement” geared toward instilling worry and terror amongst immigrant communities. He shared the story of a authorized everlasting resident and longtime worker on the Sq. Diner in Tribeca who was detained throughout an immigration appointment.
“[He] went to an immigration appearance, was snatched by ICE agents. [He] told them that he was a green card holder, showed them, I believe, his Social Security card,” Goldman recounted. “They, the ICE agents, took it, ripped it up, accused him of having a fake Social Security card, and they sent him to Texas to be deported.”
Gounardes identified that along with poor dwelling circumstances at MDC, immigrant detainees had been additionally being denied the correct to talk with their legal professionals.
“We have a facility where people who are not being charged with a crime are being detained without access to legal representation. That is a violation of due process, that is unconstitutional, not to mention illegal,” mentioned Gounardes, who additionally criticized the shortage of transparency concerning the detained immigrants.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes famous that, along with the “barbaric” dwelling circumstances on the Metropolitan Detention Heart, immigrant detainees are being denied the correct to talk with their legal professionals.Picture by Gabriele Holtermann
“We don’t have full, accurate information as to what each individual status of each person, each individual detainee has here. We just have anecdotal stories, like the ones that have been shared, plus dozens and more that we hear from folks in the community,” Gounardes famous.
Meeting Member Robert Carroll mentioned he was not solely involved about MDC’s “inhumane” circumstances but additionally the “lack of rule of law.”
“We are concerned about the due process and the 100 human beings, most of whom have never committed a crime, most of whom are being denied due process to make sure they are given the justice and the humanity that they deserve,” he mentioned.
Meeting Member Robert Carroll expressed concern not solely concerning the “inhumane” circumstances on the Metropolitan Detention Heart but additionally concerning the “lack of rule of law.”
Carroll identified that, because of the lack of transparency, it’s troublesome to say what number of immigrants have been detained and what their standing is.
“That’s clearly by design, that’s what they would like to do, so that people can actually figure out who has been taken and where they’ve been disappeared to,” Carroll mentioned.
Lorena Kourousias, government director of Mixteca, a company that has supported the Latinx group in Sundown Park for 25 years, shared the story of Bulmaro Flores.
The daddy of two American-born youngsters and sole supplier for his household was detained on June 3 throughout an immigration check-in. Per week after his detention, Bulmaro was lastly allowed to name his spouse.
“Now Bulmaro is in Texas because he was transferred quickly to another state to disconnect him from the network and his family,” Kourousias mentioned. “That’s the case of many, many of our immigrants here.”
Lorena Kourousias shared the story of Bulmaro Flores, who was detained by ICE brokers. Picture by Gabriele Holtermann
Whereas the Bureau of Prisons has not publicized the brand new formal settlement between ICE and BOP, the Miami Herald reported June 25 that MDC is amongst three new federal correctional amenities to deal with immigrants detained by ICE, following an interagency settlement between the businesses.
In a press release to Brooklyn Paper, the BOP confirmed it’s helping ICE by housing detainees and can proceed to help legislation enforcement companions to meet the Trump administration’s coverage goals.
A spokesperson additionally acknowledged that BOP has entered an interagency settlement permitting ICE to position detainees in eight BOP amenities, together with FDC Miami, FCI Atlanta, FCI Leavenworth, FDC Philadelphia, FCI Berlin, FDC Honolulu, FCI Lewisburg and MDC Brooklyn.
“For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on the legal status of an individual, nor do we specify the legal status of individuals assigned to any particular facility, including specific numbers of detainees,” the assertion reads.
