NEW YORK — At least one journalist was injured Tuesday morning after masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents grabbed and shoved reporters covering an arrest inside a Manhattan immigration court, according to video shared online.
The footage shows a masked agent in a vest labeled “police” grabbing a reporter from amNewYork carrying a camera while others shouted at him to get off an elevator. Moments later, another agent shoved a female photographer to the ground, knocking her and another cameraman down. Witnesses could be heard shouting “Oh my God” as the altercation unfolded.
The injured journalist, a videographer for Anadolu Agency, was later taken from the courthouse on a stretcher. Other reporters, including an Associated Press freelancer, were also involved but not seriously hurt, according to the AP.
ICE said the agents were making an arrest of a Peruvian national when they were “swarmed by agitators and members of the press.” A Department of Homeland Security official said officers’ safety is a growing concern following last week’s deadly attack on an ICE office in Dallas.
The incident, which took place at 26 Federal Plaza, has drawn sharp criticism from immigration groups and Democratic leaders, who accuse ICE of excessive force. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both condemned the actions and called for accountability.
The New York Immigration Coalition said ICE agents should not be stationed inside immigration courts, while advocates and journalists continue to demand transparency.