Vural Elibol, a photojournalist with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, was hospitalized Tuesday after being violently knocked to the ground by federal immigration agents inside Manhattan’s 26 Federal Plaza courthouse. The incident comes amid escalating immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Elibol was covering ICE operations when masked federal agents attempted to forcefully remove several journalists from the building. Video footage shows him hitting his head after being shoved, leading emergency medical personnel to place him in a neck brace and stretcher him out.
Other Journalists Also Targeted
Elibol was not alone in facing aggression. Associated Press freelance photographer Olga Fedorova was also shoved, while Dean Moses, a reporter from amNewYork, was physically removed from an elevator after following a detained woman inside. Footage shows ICE agents yelling, “Get out the f***** elevator”*, before throwing Moses out.
ICE agents shoved journalists while detaining two women at New York’s 26 Federal Plaza immigration court.
Anadolu Agency cameraman L. Vural Elibol, a Turkish journalist, was knocked down, hit his head on the marble floor, and hospitalized in a neck brace.
Dean Moses of… pic.twitter.com/GNobVDK0Sv
— NewsEra (@NewsEra_) September 30, 2025
Context: Rising Tensions at 26 Federal Plaza
This confrontation occurred just days after another violent incident at the same courthouse, when ICE officers tackled Monica Moreta-Galarza, an asylum seeker from Ecuador. The officer involved was briefly suspended but reportedly returned to duty.
The courthouse, home to immigration courts and federal agencies, has become a flashpoint for Trump’s immigration crackdown. Under a controversial policy, immigrants are arrested immediately after their hearings, often without time to appeal—a practice one federal judge called a “game of detention roulette.”
Since January, over 3,000 arrests have taken place at 26 Federal Plaza. Advocates and journalists say aggressive tactics now extend beyond detainees to press and court observers, creating a hostile environment for media coverage.
Officials Condemn the Attack
New York officials criticized the actions against journalists and immigrants.
“This abuse of law-abiding immigrants and the reporters telling their stories must end,” said Governor Kathy Hochul.
Attorney General Letitia James added, “The aggressive and violent treatment of immigrants, public officials, and members of the press… needs to stop, now.”
Vural Elibol’s Condition
Turkish photojournalist Vural Elibol was taken to a local hospital on a stretcher after hitting his head on the marble floor. He required a neck brace for safety. Fellow journalists Olga Fedorova and Dean Moses were also physically affected during the incident.
This event highlights growing concerns over press safety amid heightened immigration enforcement in New York City, with journalists demanding accountability and safer working conditions.
