(MANHATTAN, 26 FEDERAL PLAZA) Multiple members of the press say they were assaulted by ICE officers inside the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza on the morning of September 30, 2025, with one photojournalist hospitalized after being knocked to the floor.
The confrontation unfolded around 10:15 a.m. on the 12th floor as reporters documented arrests outside immigration courtrooms. According to eyewitness accounts and video captured at the scene, journalists were shoved as officers moved arrestees through a public hallway and an elevator area.
Those present included photojournalists Dean Moses (amNewYork), Olga Fedorova (Associated Press), and L. Vural Elibol (Anadolu Agency). Witnesses say officers—described as wearing masks and not identifying themselves—forcefully removed Moses from an elevator as he tried to photograph an arrest. Moments later, officers pushed Fedorova and Elibol, sending Elibol hard to the ground.
Elibol was left semiconscious on the floor for more than half an hour and was later taken out on a stretcher wearing a neck brace. He was hospitalized and is expected to recover.
What happened inside the federal building
The incident took place in a public corridor near the immigration courts, a space frequently used by families, attorneys, and members of the press who follow enforcement actions and hearings.
Journalists on site say ICE officers blocked photography and then escalated to physical force when cameras continued to document the arrests. The sequence, captured on video and described by multiple reporters, shows officers shoving members of the press away from the elevator where detainees were being moved.
In the chaos:
– Moses was pulled from the elevator.
– Fedorova was pushed back.
– Elibol fell, struck his head, and was later stabilized by EMTs.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, officers on scene were “swarmed by agitators and members of the press, which obstructed operations.” DHS framed the response as necessary to move arrestees safely through a crowded area.
But journalists present disputed the government’s account. Moses and others said no one interfered with the officers’ actions and that the press was simply documenting events from a lawful public area.
Local officials condemned the use of force. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Congressman Dan Goldman criticized the conduct, linking it to the recent reinstatement of an ICE officer who had previously been suspended for shoving a civilian at the same location. Their statements added pressure for quick accountability and drew attention to what they and advocates called a pattern of escalation by enforcement personnel at 26 Federal Plaza.
As EMTs treated Elibol, reporters continued to gather details in the corridor. Family members waiting for immigration hearings watched as medics stabilized the injured journalist. Attorneys who were present warned clients to remain calm and keep their distance.
The federal building—one of the most active immigration hubs in the United States 🇺🇸—has long drawn tense scenes as ICE operations intersect with court proceedings and high public interest.
Government response and growing scrutiny
The clash has intensified scrutiny of ICE conduct inside 26 Federal Plaza, a building that holds immigration courts and federal offices where arrests often occur near public spaces.
Advocates and officials are now calling for disciplinary action and federal oversight, citing potential civil rights concerns and a pattern of confrontations that they say has put both the public and the press at risk. Immediate steps demanded by critics include:
– Identifying all officers involved
– Preserving video evidence
– Ensuring clear rules for press access in public corridors
DHS’s statement that officers were obstructed stands at odds with accounts from reporters, who say they neither touched officers nor stood in their path. The dispute over basic facts has heightened the urgency for an independent review.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, press access and enforcement activity inside federal buildings are frequent flashpoints that lead to calls for outside monitoring and clearer rules.
“The difference at 26 Federal Plaza,” reporters say, “is the pattern of aggressive encounters.” The recent reinstatement of an officer previously suspended for shoving a civilian has become central to public questions about internal discipline.
Injury, transparency concerns, and press safety
The hospitalized journalist, L. Vural Elibol, is expected to recover, according to colleagues who spoke after he was taken to the hospital. Reporters who saw him fall say he appeared dazed and struggled to respond before EMTs arrived. He was placed in a neck brace as a precaution.
The injury has prompted newsrooms and press advocates to ask:
– Why officers were not more careful in a crowded public area
– Whether force was used to block lawful newsgathering
Journalists on scene said the officers did not identify themselves before pushing members of the press back from the elevator. The presence of masked, unidentified officers has drawn questions from observers and added to public concern about transparency and accountability in a federal building where many cases affect family unity, work permits, and long-term status in the country.
Calls for oversight now include demands for federal review mechanisms that can collect complaints and assess officer conduct. One pathway is the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which accepts public complaints about DHS personnel. Readers seeking official information on how to file such complaints can consult the DHS resource at the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties website, available here: DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Advocates say a formal complaint record helps preserve evidence and triggers internal review.
Broader implications and next steps
While the federal statement emphasized officer safety and the need to complete operations, journalists insisted the issue was force, not enforcement. They argue press observers regularly document ICE arrests in public settings and that the norm is to record without interference.
This month’s reinstatement of a previously suspended officer at the same site has become central to questions about internal discipline and training.
The scene underscores how quickly routine coverage can turn dangerous in tight federal hallways. Families heading to hearings, lawyers preparing filings, and reporters working on deadline share narrow spaces with officers moving detainees. When tensions rise, the risk of injury increases for everyone nearby.
Monday’s incident showed those stakes in stark terms, with journalists shoved to the ground and an emergency medical response unfolding steps from immigrant families waiting for life-changing hearings.
As the day went on, reporters who witnessed the confrontation continued working from the building’s lower floors, trading notes on timestamps and camera angles to preserve a clear record of events. They emphasized that they did not touch the officers or block the route, and that documenting arrests in public corridors is a standard part of their job.
The episode has fueled broader debate about conduct by federal personnel in spaces open to the public. Officials and advocates who condemned the shoving say it is part of an escalating pattern at 26 Federal Plaza, and they are urging federal authorities to act.
With one journalist hospitalized and others reporting similar treatment, pressure is rising for a review that can address:
– Accountability
– Training
– Clear guidance governing press activity in public corridors where enforcement actions occur
This Article in a Nutshell
On September 30, 2025, at about 10:15 a.m., ICE officers inside 26 Federal Plaza pushed multiple journalists who were documenting arrests in a public corridor near immigration courtrooms. Photojournalist L. Vural Elibol was shoved, struck his head, was semiconscious for over thirty minutes, fitted with a neck brace, and hospitalized; colleagues say he is expected to recover. Officers on scene reportedly wore masks and did not immediately identify themselves. DHS said officers were obstructed by agitators and press, while reporters insisted they posed no interference. Local officials, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and Rep. Dan Goldman, condemned the actions and called for identification of involved officers, preservation of video evidence, and an independent review. Advocates urge clearer rules on press access and better oversight at 26 Federal Plaza amid concerns about a pattern of aggressive encounters by enforcement personnel.
