The chaos unfolding at MDC Brooklyn, now holding ICE detainees, is emblematic of a broader crisis in the U.S. detention system that conservatives believe is spiraling out of control.
At a Glance
- ICE has begun housing immigration detainees at the notoriously troubled Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn.
- The move is part of a new agreement between ICE and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to use eight federal jails to hold detainees.
- MDC Brooklyn is infamous for its poor conditions, including a week-long power and heat failure in 2019.
- Civil rights groups have condemned the decision as “reckless and cruel,” citing risks of overcrowding and restricted access to legal counsel.
From Bad to Worse at MDC Brooklyn
The federal Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, a jail with a long and troubled history, is now at the center of a new firestorm after the government confirmed it has begun housing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees there. The move is part of a new interagency agreement to use eight federal prisons to manage the overflow of immigration detainees.
As reported by the New York Post, the decision has sparked immediate alarm. MDC Brooklyn is infamous for its squalid conditions, chronic understaffing, and a catastrophic 2019 incident where a power failure left inmates without heat or light for a week during a polar vortex.
“Reckless and Cruel”
The policy of placing civil immigration detainees—who are not charged with a federal crime—into a pretrial criminal facility with such a poor reputation has drawn fierce condemnation from civil rights organizations.
“Expanding ICE detention to MDC is reckless and cruel,” the Legal Aid Society of New York said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned that conditions will further deteriorate due to staffing shortages, restricted access to counsel, and the overcrowding of a facility already unequipped to meet even the most basic standards of care.” The ACLU echoed these concerns, arguing that holding immigrants in extended lockdown without adequate medical care or legal counsel is “not just inhumane—it’s illegal.”
A System in Crisis
The decision to use federal prisons highlights the immense strain on the U.S. detention system amid a years-long crisis at the southern border. The government is struggling to find adequate space to house the large number of individuals awaiting immigration proceedings.
However, critics argue that turning to notoriously dysfunctional facilities like MDC Brooklyn is an unacceptable solution. The jail currently houses several high-profile criminal defendants, including music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. Placing civil detainees in such a high-security, troubled environment raises profound questions about the federal government’s ability to manage the immigration and detention system humanely and effectively.
