Federal immigration agents can no longer carry out arrests in and around three Manhattan buildings that host immigration proceedings unless exceptional circumstances exist, a federal judge ruled Monday.

The decision by P. Kevin Castel immediately halts a practice introduced during the administration of Donald Trump that allowed agents to detain individuals appearing for mandatory immigration court hearings.

The policy had led to emotional scenes inside courthouse hallways, where migrants attending proceedings were sometimes taken into custody in front of relatives and supporters.

In his written ruling, Castel acknowledged the government’s “strong interest in enforcing immigration laws” but said there was also a critical public interest in allowing individuals to attend removal hearings and pursue asylum claims “without fear of arrest.”

The judge emphasized that federal authorities still retain the power to make arrests away from immigration courts and may continue detaining individuals at courthouses in cases involving serious public safety threats.

Castel also noted that federal policies established five years ago restricting courthouse arrests could remain in place, adding that the court was likely to find the Trump-era rollback of those protections “arbitrary and capricious.”

The ruling further pointed to a recent shift by government attorneys, who informed the court that 2025 policies governing arrests in and around courthouses did not, in fact, apply to immigration courts.

Castel said that change in the government’s legal position made it necessary to “correct a clear error and prevent a manifest injustice.”

The lawsuit challenging the practice was brought by several advocacy organizations, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union and Make the Road New York.

Amy Belsher, director of immigrants’ rights litigation at the NYCLU, praised the ruling following the court’s decision.