Immigrants detained by ICE are being held in a controversial Brooklyn prison, MDC Brooklyn, where high-profile inmates like Sean “Diddy” Combs and healthcare executive Luigi Mangione are also reportedly located, according to officials.
This facility in Sunset Park has recently started detaining illegal immigrants as part of a federal initiative that opened several centers across the country for immigration enforcement, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed.
Details about the number of immigrants being held at MDC Brooklyn or their duration of stay remain unclear, but they join a cast of notorious figures who have often referred to prisons as their “home.”
The 55-year-old Combs, facing serious allegations including sex trafficking, is perhaps the most notorious among them, alongside the 27-year-old Mangione, who is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thomas in December.
Other infamous recent detainees include financial fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, Ghislaine Maxwell linked to Jeffrey Epstein, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, and R&B star R. Kelly.
However, conditions in these prisons are far from luxurious. MDC Brooklyn has been criticized for years over poor conditions and mistreatment of inmates.
Families of detainees have previously complained about issues like food infested with maggots and the prevalence of violence and frequent blackouts within the facility.
During Maxwell’s trial in 2021, her legal team described the conditions as “condemned and completely inappropriate,” noting extreme cold and issues with sewage.
The detention center is designated for pre-trial detainees and short-term federal inmates, accommodating around 3,000 prisoners.
The New York Legal Aid Association, which provides legal support to low-income residents, has denounced the decision to detain ICE detainees at MDC Brooklyn.
“Expanding ICE detention at the MDC is reckless and cruel,” they stated in a recent comment. They also expressed concern that existing issues would worsen due to overcrowding, understaffing, and limited legal access.
In addition to MDC Brooklyn, the BOP has designated seven other facilities across the country to house illegal immigrants, including FCI Atlanta, FCI Lewisburg, and FDC Miami.
This decision has ignited nationwide protests and unrest, particularly in Los Angeles, amid ongoing mass arrests of illegal immigrants during the Trump administration.
