The halls of the immigration courts in lower Manhattan are quiet on a recent August day — except for the sounds of five men wearing masks and sunglasses, looking at their phones and talking among themselves. They are immigration and federal law enforcement officers, continuing the show of force that has thrown immigration courts into chaos.

Eight months ago, the courts were a little-known part of the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), where judges oversee the cases of individuals living in the country illegally. This summer, however, the halls of 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway in lower Manhattan, along with dozens of other courts nationwide, became the epicenters of the Trump administration's efforts to increase the rate of immigration arrests.

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