Security concerns heightened in NYC after deadly shooting in Dallas at ICE facility
Security concerns remain heightened at immigration courts in New York in the wake of a deadly shooting in Dallas on Wednesday morning.
The shooting comes at the same time that President Donald Trumps crackdown of undocumented workers has sparked protests and controversies in New York and around the country.
On Wednesday, an NYPD counter-terrorism bureau patrol car, with lights flashing, was parked in front of the federal building where immigration court is held.
But at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, it was quiet following a deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas earlier in the morning.
Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, spoke out after the incident.
"It appears that there was a sniper in an elevated position who fired down into our secure detainee loading area," Lyons said. "It's called sallyport. While it's secure, the roof is not."
In New York City, the sallyport where detainees are transported is in an underground garage.
The street that leads to the entrance is closed to traffic and vehicles that are allowed inside must drive through a security gate.
"You know, we're going to have to look at hardened buildings, maybe possibly start going to some of our federal buildings that have underground loading," Lyons said.
Since the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, protesters have rallied outside of the Lower Manhattan building.
Just last week, 11 elected officials were arrested while protesting conditions at the immigration holding facility.
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