Council members and advocates warn of gaps in counsel and accompaniment at 26 Federal Plaza detentions

Elected officials and MOIA officials told the Committee on Immigration they are tracking reports of immigration enforcement operations at 26 Federal Plaza and elsewhere, and that these operations have strained nonprofit legal providers and raised questions about continuity of counsel.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams described recent federal enforcement tactics as criminalizing immigrants and urged the city to expand legal services and protections. "Immigrants now more than ever need access to attorneys and legal services to avoid improper detention," Williams said.

MOIA Commissioner Manuel Castro condemned federal raids and said MOIA "condemned these raids and anti immigrant actions conducted by the federal government," while noting the city relies on a network of contracted nonprofit providers for on-the-ground accompaniment and legal help. When asked whether MOIA sends city staff into 26 Federal Plaza, Castro said the agency does not generally send MOIA staff inside the federal building and instead works with contractors who operate on site.

Council members repeatedly pressed MOIA and asked whether the city has protocols for when clients or shelter residents are detained, how quickly advocates and attorneys are notified, and how continuity of representation is supported if a person is transferred out of state. MOIA acknowledged jurisdictional and licensing complications when clients are transferred to other states and said the agency is coordinating with providers, the Department of Education for student cases and with other city partners.

Council members also sought clarity on whether accompaniment at hearings and other on-site legal support is written into provider deliverables and whether the city provided additional support to nonprofits doing accompaniment. MOIA said some one-year contracts executed for legacy Action NYC providers included accompaniment deliverables and that MOIA has funded rapid-response work and restoration funding that supports accompaniment in some cases.

Why it matters: Committee members described the ongoing use of federal enforcement tactics as an immediate operational challenge for the city and for nonprofit legal providers. When people lose contact with their attorneys after detention or are transferred across state lines, advocates said it creates practical barriers to meaningful access to counsel and to case continuity. Council members asked MOIA and other agencies for written protocols and for clearer, routine notification channels when city-involved individuals are detained.

What happened next: MOIA said it would continue to coordinate with DSS, DOE and nonprofit providers and would provide the committee additional information about provider capacity, shelter protocols and any steps the agency can take within its jurisdiction to monitor and mitigate gaps in representation.