Congressman Dan Goldman faces off with a masked ICE agent inside 26 Federal Plaza.
Photo by Dean Moses
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman has emerged as an immigration rights advocate since ICE agents began seizing the hallways of immigration court in 2025, and in the aftermath, he has proposed no less than five new bills to halt what he cites as an un-American attack on New Yorkers.
During a one-on-one interview with amNewYork, speaking on the legislation, Goldman shared that his grandmother escaped from antisemitism in Russia and immigrated to the United States, arriving in the Big Apple through Ellis Island.
“People have always sought refuge here from terrible conditions elsewhere, and that’s why people want to come here to pursue the American dream, and the idea that this administration is trying to shut down immigration of all kinds, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of whether or not these people are being persecuted at home, regardless of whether they’re law abiding or not, or whether they’re children or not, is so offensive to me,” Goldman said.
After almost a year of violent detainments inside of 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway, a bombshell court filing appeared to show that ICE allegedly never had authority to arrest immigrants in the courthouse to begin with, calling all of the arrests and subsequent deportation into question, violating Goldman’s advocacy.
“For nearly a year, ICE has intentionally violated its own policy and the law by arresting immigrants at immigration courthouses, and then engaging in a massive cover-up. Now that we know the truth — that thousands of ICE arrests around the country should never have taken place — those responsible for allowing these arrests must be held accountable. I have demanded a response from DHS and will ensure that this administration is held responsible for their reckless and lawless targeting of immigrants trying to follow the immigration laws,” Goldman added.
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman makes a surprise visit to the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza .Photo by Dean Moses
Before this became apparent, Goldman said in an effort to stand up to the bullying, he proposed a slew of legislation to regulate, unmask, and to prevent detainments inside court houses.
This includes the Real Courts, Rule of Law Act, which would establish an independent immigration court system under Article I of the Constitution to ensure immigration judges and immigrants are no longer at the direct mercy of the president.
The ICE OUT Act would significantly limit the number of circumstances in which ICE agents would qualify for immunity. The Immigration Court Due Process Protection Act is aiming to protect immigrants who are pursuing lawful pathways and attending their mandatory immigration court hearings from being targeted.
The last two acts are dubbed Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act, which looks to safeguard vulnerable immigrant children fleeing violence by ensuring they are not prevented from seeking asylum due to prohibitive fees imposed by what Goldman referred to as Trump’s “Big Ugly Bill.”
The No Secret Police Act would ban ICE agents from wearing masks during immigration arrests, ensuring members of law enforcement cannot remain anonymous.
Goldman told amNewYork that while these pieces of legislation have support from many Democrats in Congress, he says he has not seen a single colleague from across the aisle back the bills.
“I don’t believe a single Republican has sponsored a single one of these bills. The Republicans in Congress have completely abandoned their responsibility to provide oversight or conduct oversight or be a check and balance on this administration’s immigration policy, and they are complicit in allowing the administration to terrorize our cities and our country, and it goes far beyond just immigrants themselves,” Goldman fumed. “It’s broad communities that are being affected by this. It’s small businesses that are being affected because people are not going out to frequent them as much anymore. It is schools that are losing students and parishioners because people are so afraid of even just going outside of their house.”
The congress members came face-to-face with masked Feds who lined the halls, waiting for their targets. Goldman himself demanded to see the badge of one agent who unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal a golden emblem.Photo by Dean Moses
Goldman also pushed back on what he called the hypocrisy of Republicans who have demanded that protesters be stripped of wearing masks while supporting Federal Agents doing the same.
“This administration really cracked down on protesters wearing masks on university campuses. They were very aggressively against that, and then to turn around and say: Oh, well, the protesters can’t wear masks, but government agents can wear masks, is so hypocritical and preposterous, and it’s an obvious double standard,” he said.
In addition to proposing the laws, over the last year, Goldman has worked with immigrant rights advocate Fabian Arias of Saint Peter’s Church and his team to establish what he refers to as a triage center inside of his office for families impacted by ICE detention. Over the many months since that partnership began, some 30 immigrants have been released from ICE detention thanks to court filings.
“We’re able to have a much larger coordination effort that helps the families of immigrants who are going through a traumatic situation, and also helps those who have been improperly, unnecessarily and in some cases inhumanely detained, actually get out, reunite with their families, continue to work as many of them do, and wait for their asylum claims to be resolved,” Goldman said. “Its rewarding that families have been reunited.”
US Rep. Dan Goldman faces off with an ICE agent.Photo by Dean Moses