Jewish Clergy Arrested Protesting ICE Brutality in New York City

At least twelve clergy members, including ten rabbis and two Christian ministers, were handcuffed and arrested April 30 while blocking traffic in front of 26 Federal Plaza, a federal immigration courthouse in New York City where ICE detains immigrants. The protest was organized by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and joined by about 200 supporters chanting in solidarity.

Protesters carried signs with the names and photos of 21 people ICE has killed in 2026, spotlighting the agency’s ongoing record of brutality. The clergy demanded an end to “business as usual,” condemning ICE’s policies of family separation, cramped detention conditions, and denial of due process.

This demonstration was part of “Jews Demand: ICE Out!,” a national day of action coordinated by T’ruah and 70 other Jewish organizations across 17 cities in 10 states. The campaign calls for ICE to be removed from schools, workplaces, places of worship, and communities everywhere.

The timing was strategic, coinciding with congressional debates over funding for ICE and Border Patrol. While Congress reopened the Department of Homeland Security on April 30 without additional immigration enforcement funding, activists warn that Trump and congressional Republicans are pushing to funnel an extra $140 billion to ICE and Border Patrol.

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, another organizer, emphasized the need to “cut off their funding and hold them accountable.” CEO Jamie Beran condemned ICE’s militarized raids as attacks on the inclusive democracy that protects minority communities, including Jews.

Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, linked ICE’s enforcement agenda to xenophobic and antisemitic ideologies that have long endangered Jewish communities.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, framed the protest as a fulfillment of ancient Jewish commitments to protecting immigrants. “When we demand ICE leave our cities, when we demand not one more dollar for ICE and CBP, we are living our values,” she said.

Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, one of those arrested, called for peace that involves active solidarity: “If we desire to have a relationship with God, then we must interact with all of God’s children as our siblings. I’m protesting because this is not how you treat family.”

This bold, faith-driven resistance underscores the growing coalition demanding accountability for ICE’s deadly, inhumane practices and a rejection of the racist policies fueling them. The Jewish community’s leadership in this fight is a powerful reminder that the struggle for immigrant rights is inseparable from the fight against authoritarian overreach and bigotry.