Activists have slammed a surge in arrests at a known gay cruising spot in New York City.
Over 200 men have been arrested at the men’s public restrooms in Penn Station since June, in a police initiative branded as “discriminatory” by some lawmakers.
Before June, there were only 12 arrests for “public lewdness” made in the bathrooms near the Eighth Avenue and 31st Street entrance, according to NYPD data seen by The City.
The bathroom has long been a popular meeting place for users of the LGBTQ+ hookup app Sniffies.
David, a 31-year-old health worker, told The City that he was arrested while waiting in line for the urinals.
He claims that he had not entered the bathrooms with the intention of cruising and was instead targeted because he was wearing a rainbow armband.
The health worker has also alleged that Amtrak police bragged about catching “three more f** pervs” after arresting him and two other men.
He was later ordered to appear at Manhattan Criminal Court, where the charges were dropped.
In addition, at least 20 of the men arrested at Penn Station have been handed over to ICE, according to The Gothamist.
Danney Salvatierra, an immigration attorney, told The City that one of her clients is a Mexican man who has a pending asylum claim.
The man, who has an American spouse, spent a month in immigration detention before a judge ruled in favor of his release.
New York City’s sanctuary policies ban the NYPD from turning over people to ICE.
However, since Amtrak officers are a federal force, they do not need to comply with NYC’s regulations.
New York City councillors Erik Bottcher and Tiffany Cabán have described the arrests as “discriminatory policing” and being “deeply alarming violations of civil rights,” in a letter sent to Amtrak Police.
Jared Trujillo, an assistant professor at CUNY School of Law, took to TikTok to warn New Yorkers about the crackdown.
He said he had heard about instances where “officers will approach someone who is at a urinal.”
Trujillo says that the officer will then “touch himself,” before arresting the other man for public lewdness if they “respond in any way.”
Sniffies users have also warned other people on the app to avoid the bathrooms as the crackdown continues.
“Stop playing in [Penn Station].
“They have undercover cops hiding in the bathrooms, arresting people.
“It’s not funny, it’s scary,” one anonymous user wrote.
The news comes as President Donald Trump rolls out a sweeping immigration crackdown, with masked ICE agents appearing in cities across America.
Trump has threatened to unleash the National Guard onto the streets of Portland, Oregon,
More than 1.2 million migrants left the U.S. workforce between January and July.
With immigrants comprising 20 percent of the American workforce, many industries are experiencing a slowdown in productivity.
Elizabeth Rodriguez, the director of farm worker advocacy for the National Farmworker Ministry, told the Associated Press that many crops went to “waste” in the spring as farms saw a drastic reduction in their workforces.
Trump has also led a severe crackdown on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, which are designed to prevent discrimination.
The president has also blamed recent gun attacks on “trans mass shooters,” while other federal workers have claimed that Trump is purging public agencies of LGBTQ+ workers.
The Independent has contacted the Amtrak Police Department for comment.
