Journalist Taken Away on Stretcher in Clash with Masked Agents at N.Y.C. Immigration Court

A journalist has been hospitalized after a clash with masked agents at a New York City immigration court. The incident took place at the Manhattan immigration courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 30, where journalist Dean Moses, a video journalist for amNewYork, documented two women entering an elevator followed by masked agents. As Moses recorded the incident, one of the agents verbally abused him, pushed him out of the elevator, and towards a group of journalists and camera crews, causing a tense and physical altercation to unfold.

Witnesses reported that freelance photojournalist Olga Fedorova was also forcibly pushed to the ground by an agent during the altercation. Another journalist, L. Vural Elibol, was found injured on the floor, although the circumstances that led to his injuries remain unclear. Upon discovering Elibol, his colleague Mostafa Bassim described him as being in a state where he could not talk or function properly, leading to an onsite nurse providing assistance before he was taken to the hospital on a stretcher for further treatment.

Elibol works as a video journalist for the Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansı and was reportedly found in distress on the floor, covering his face and expressing signs of pain. The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of journalists and the use of force by federal agents in such situations. Journalist Olga Fedorova emphasized the importance of following orders but noted that in this case, it was not clear that the situation warranted such physical intervention.

The Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that the officers were at the building to make an arrest of an individual from Peru. She explained that the officers were met with a crowd of agitators and journalists, which hindered their operations and created a hostile environment. McLaughlin condemned the interference with arrests and urged the media and politicians to refrain from escalating tensions and vilifying law enforcement.

Responding to the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the actions of the federal agents, accusing them of mistreating law-abiding immigrants and reporters. She questioned the necessity of such forceful measures and called for a reevaluation of the tactics used by law enforcement in immigration-related operations. The incident has sparked debate and drawn attention to the challenges faced by journalists reporting on sensitive and controversial topics like immigration enforcement.