In a significant legal intervention aimed at addressing severe detainee mistreatment, US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan mandated sweeping improvements to the conditions at the ICE detention center located at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan. This ruling came on Tuesday as a response to the disturbing allegations brought forth by Peruvian immigrant Sergio Alberto Barco Mercado and supported by civil rights organizations.

According to the temporary restraining order, the Trump administration is now required to overhaul the detainment facilities to ensure larger, sanitary spaces that are cleaned thrice daily. Each detainee must be provided with a bedding mat and sufficient hygiene supplies. The ruling further stipulates that all detainees receive a printed notice of their rights within the first hour of detention, an extra meal daily, consistent access to bottled water, and the opportunity for private phone conversations with their attorneys within 24 hours.

The lawsuit, buttressed by the American Civil Liberties Union, New York Civil Liberties Union, and Make the Road New York, painted a grim picture of the existing conditions. Detainees were reportedly cramped into a small 215 square-foot space, sleeping on concrete floors without basic amenities like soap, toothbrushes, or menstrual products. Medical care was scarce, and access to legal counsel was severely restricted.

Compounding the misery, detainees described receiving minimal, barely edible meals and suffering under extreme temperatures. Descriptions of detainees being dismissively sprayed with water and the government's own admission of inadequate facilities highlighted the dire need for intervention.

The Manhattan ICE facility has increasingly attracted scrutiny and criticism, becoming a focal point for broader debates about immigration enforcement, transparency, and human rights. Recent protests and congressional inquiries underscore the growing public and political unease with the handling of detainees, pushing for a reevaluation of practices that advocates argue compromise justice and due process.

Judge Kaplan’s decision marks a critical step towards rectifying these issues, with immediate effects expected to improve the lives of those detained under harsh conditions. The judge also hinted at forthcoming proceedings that could lead to a longer-term injunction and potentially class-action certification, suggesting that this order could be just the beginning of broader reforms within ICE detention centers under the current administration.