Agents use force against journalists in immigration courts: Russian-speaking photographer injured

On September 30, at the federal building in Manhattan, U.S. immigration officers roughly pushed away media representatives attempting to cover the arrests. The incident resulted in an injury to a journalist and sparked a wave of criticism against the security forces, according to reports. AP.

According to eyewitnesses and video footage, journalist L. Vural Elibol of the Turkish Anadolu Agency hit his head on the floor of the 26 Federal Plaza building. This happened after agents US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers pushed one journalist out of an elevator and shoved another to the floor.

Witnesses reported that a passerby supported Elibol's head until the ambulance arrived. A nurse provided him with assistance, and then doctors carried him out on a stretcher, placing him in a neck brace.

The other journalists, amNewYork's bureau chief Dean Moses and freelance photographer Olga Fedorova, who works for the Associated Press, were not seriously injured.

The position of the authorities

Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said that activity The agents were acquitted.

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"The officers found themselves surrounded by provocateurs and journalists who interfered with the operation," her statement reads. "Officers repeatedly ordered them to step back, exit the elevator, and not interfere. Politicians who support interference in arrests create a dangerous environment that puts officers, detainees, and the public at risk."

Testimonies of journalists

Dean Moses said the confrontation began on the 12th floor, where masked agents grabbed him and pushed him out of the elevator. He was attempting to photograph the arrest of a woman who had just left immigration court.

"I followed them into the elevator. They started yelling at me," Moses told amNewYork. "Then they grabbed my arms and started pulling me out. I tried to hold on, but they pushed me out."

Photographer Stephanie Keith's video shows that during the struggle, another agent pushed Olga Fedorova. She fell backwards, directly toward Elibol, who was lying on the floor.

Fedorova noted that photographers had been working in the courtroom corridor for months without any problems. She added that this time, the agents didn't impose any restrictions. They didn't indicate they were making an arrest when they entered the elevator.

"If we're told to move away and not cross the line, we do so," Fedorova said. "But in this case, no one realized an arrest was taking place."

Recurring conflicts

The incident came just days after another federal agent in the same building was caught on video throwing an Ecuadorian woman against a wall and onto the floor after arresting her husband.

Both clashes occurred in the public area of ​​the federal building. Immigrants regularly frequent the area, either on their way to or returning from hearings. Agents preparing for arrests are also present. Activists protesting the arrests and journalists documenting the events are also present.

Political reaction

Representatives of the Democratic Party sharply condemned the forceful behavior of agents and the harsh measures of the Republican administration in the area of ​​immigration.

"This abuse of law-abiding immigrants and the journalists who tell their stories must stop. What is going on?" New York Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on social media.

"We cannot accept or normalize the violence that has become commonplace at 26 Federal Plaza. It has no place in our city," said Zoran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor of New York City.