by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 12 – A putative class action was filed on August 8 over immigration enforcement conditions in 26 Federal Plaza. (Inner City Press on that day covered the courtrooms on the 12th floor and the ICE activities just outside).
The case was assigned to US District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Gregory H. Woods at Part 1, who on late on August 8 ruled that "the Court anticipates that on August 11 a hearing to discuss the application for the entry of the requested provisional injunctive relief will be scheduled."
On August 11 the case was assigned to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who then ruled that defendants' paper opposing at TRO are due by 5 pm on August 11, with oral argument set for August 12 at 10 am.
The listen only call in line did not work, but thankfully now a transcript, on DocumentCloud here. Judge Kaplan mused about 50 square feet per person and increased and more private legal calls, with a TRO order to follow.
And at 4 pm the TRO issues, on square footage, legal calls and more, Order here
By the deadline, the US Attorney's Office filed opposition, disclosing four rooms, 821, 655, 174 and 173 square feet, saying they have a capacity of 154 people...
From Inner City Press' August 8 report:
There are a dozen ICE officers with masks over their faces in front of Courtroom 1237 in 26 Federal Plaza. In the hall outside the media is allowed to stand, waiting.
On the morning of August 8, Inner City Press was there when a Latino family came out of the courtroom. A woman was crying, asking "porque?" as she was comforted and taken down a short hallway away from the click of the cameras.
"Did they grab somebody?" a journalist asked, without answer.
ICE officer told journalists and photographers to stand to the side as the family passed: a man pushing a stroller, a toddler in a blue Oxford cloth shirt, and the crying woman.
"Please get against the wall," one of the ICE agents told reporters.
There are no overflow courtrooms, allowing the Press to observe the cases, and little transparency.
The judges in the courtrooms in 1237 appear to be named Sponzo, Harbeck, Sagesse and Nasser - no first names on the sign.
Instead, a sign says "A message to illegal aliens: A warning to self-deport."
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is Barco Mercado v. Noem, et al., 1:25-cv-6568 (Kaplan)
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