New York City elected officials sounded the alarm Tuesday over the treatment of migrants held at a federal immigration detention center in Lower Manhattan, demanding transparency and accountability after witnessing court proceedings at 26 Federal Plaza.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Comptroller Brad Lander, Congressman Dan Goldman, and local faith leaders joined forces to highlight what they called deeply disturbing conditions faced by asylum seekers detained in the building.

“We have a woman here who doesn’t know what happened to her partner—a little girl waiting for her father, who is likely being held,” Williams said outside the courthouse. “These are not statistics. These are human beings.”

Officials say some migrants are being taken to a detention facility on the building’s 10th floor, where they are allegedly confined to overcrowded rooms with no access to showers, insufficient food and water, and no means to contact their families.

Rep. Goldman recounted hearing about two detainees who were allegedly held without proper notification to their loved ones, calling the conditions “inhumane” and accusing immigration authorities of overreach.

“The courts are being used not just for justice, but as instruments of detention,” Goldman said, adding that the Trump administration has restricted congressional oversight of such facilities.

Comptroller Lander echoed the concern, warning that the situation signals a grave threat to democratic norms. “This is an emergency for our democracy,” he said. “If you show up for your court date and masked agents detain you with no explanation—that’s not due process, that’s authoritarianism.”

The officials are now urging everyday citizens to show up and witness immigration proceedings for themselves, saying public scrutiny is urgently needed.

“If you want to see where democracy is slipping into authoritarianism, go to 290 Broadway or 26 Federal Plaza,” said Lander.

Amid the chaos, the emotional toll was made painfully clear. A 6-year-old Honduran girl, whose family has held asylum status for over a year, quietly drew pictures as she waited—only to learn one of her parents would not be returning from court that day.

The officials pledged continued pressure on federal agencies and called for immediate reform of detention practices, emphasizing that legal proceedings should not become black holes of secrecy and suffering.