“The young people enduring these conditions are overwhelmingly low-income and from communities of color. Their suffering is not inevitable, and the city has immediate options it could act on today to improve conditions.”

Basketball courts at Crossroads Juvenile Center, in Brownsville, Brooklyn. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

In the richest city in America, with a $116 billion budget, about 100 children are locked in city custody at youth detention centers without beds to sleep in or rooms of their own. They haven’t been convicted of a crime—only accused—and under the law they are presumed innocent. Yet the inhumane conditions they endure make clear they are being treated as if they are beneath the law, while the city shows little appetite to fix it. 

At any given time, a third of young people in the custody of the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), New York City’s child welfare agency that operates the youth detention facilities, has no assigned room. They sleep in classrooms, hallways, or visiting areas—spaces unfit for anyone, let alone vulnerable youth. Many are merely provided plastic cots commonly referred to as “boats,” some directly on the floor, and are moved late at night and awakened by 5 a.m., exhausted, disoriented, and still without a place to rest or any sense of safety or stability. 

The environment is filthy and chaotic. Rodents and vermin scurry across the floors. A therapist from Bellevue Juvenile Justice Mental Health Services, which serves youth in these facilities, recently testified in a Bronx trial case that the environment is “very chaotic. It’s a pretty dangerous space. It’s very dirty. It’s unpredictable. It’s loud. There’s absolutely no consistency. There’s a lot going on. There’s—my word would be chaotic at all times. It’s unsafe. There’s nothing normal or comfortable about it.”

The stress of overcrowding has created an uptick in violence. The mayor’s own Management Report acknowledges that “a significant increase in population in a limited space [has] presented additional stressors on the detention environment.” In recent weeks alone, one teen required 70 stitches to his face after being attacked without supervision. Others have been hospitalized with broken bones and stab wounds. Some fights reportedly erupt over the most basic resource of all —a mattress. 

ACS does not always tell families or lawyers when a child is hurt, further deepening their isolation. Because common areas double as sleeping spaces, education and programming—the very things that are supposed to distinguish youth detention from adult facilities—are constantly disrupted. New York law mandates schooling for detained youth, but ACS often fails to deliver even that. 

This is not new. Reports of overcrowding and inhumane conditions date back at least two years. Yet ACS’ response has been to seek state waivers from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, which has unconditionally approved the requests despite knowing full well the conditions in the facilities. The waivers allow ACS to ignore critical housing regulations instead of fixing the problem. The agency has even floated transferring youth to Rikers Island, a facility mired in a full-fledged humanitarian crisis and soon to be placed under outside receivership, as if that were an acceptable solution. 

Let’s be clear: if these were the children of affluent families, this crisis would have been resolved long ago. The young people enduring these conditions are overwhelmingly low-income and from communities of color. Their suffering is not inevitable, and the city has immediate options it could act on today to improve conditions, including: 

Immediately reducing the population in these facilities by providing community-based alternatives to detention; 

limiting the duration of displacement for youth without a room;  

ensuring access to education and programming for all youth; 

providing secure storage for personal belongings;  

publicly reporting data on youth housing status and facility conditions; and  

notifying parents, guardians, and attorneys within 48 hours when a youth lacks assigned housing or is denied programming. 

New York City cannot continue to warehouse kids like luggage in its detention centers. These are children who deserve safety, education, and a chance to grow into some better than what the system is currently offering them. 

Dawne Mitchell is the chief attorney of the Juvenile Rights Practice at The Legal Aid Society.

The post Opinion: Addressing ‘Chaotic’ Conditions at NYC’s Youth Detention Centers appeared first on City Limits.

By HOLLY RAMER

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Massachusetts woman who was once engaged to the brother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remains in ICE custody two weeks after being arrested on her way to pick up the son she shares with her former fiancé.

Related Articles

Supreme Court won’t immediately let Trump administration fire copyright office head

Pushing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump looks to his Gaza ceasefire playbook

Trump administration says lower prices for 15 Medicare drugs will save taxpayers billions

New prosecutor won’t pursue charges against Trump and others in Georgia election interference case

Trump’s Ukraine peace plan ignites diplomatic flurry but major hurdles lie ahead

Bruna Ferreira, 33, was driving to her son’s school in New Hampshire on Nov. 12 when she was pulled over in Revere, Massachusetts, her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, said Wednesday.

“She wasn’t told why she was detained,” he said. “She was bounced from Massachusetts, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, to Louisiana on this unconstitutional merry-go-round.”

Pomerleau said Ferreira’s 11-year-old son lives with her former fiancé, Michael Leavitt, in New Hampshire, but they have shared custody and maintained a co-parenting relationship for many years since their engagement broke off.

“She was detained for no reason at all. She’s not dangerous. She’s not a flight risk. She’s not a criminal illegal alien,” he said. “She’s a business owner who pays taxes and has a child who was wondering where mommy was after school two weeks ago.”

Michael Leavitt did not respond to a message sent to his workplace. The White House press secretary declined comment. Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.

Pomerleau said his client was 2 or 3 when she and her family came to the U.S. from Brazil, and she later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.

The Department of Homeland Security said Ferreira entered the U.S. on a tourist visa that required her to leave in 1999. A department spokesperson said Ferreira had a previous arrest for battery, an allegation her attorney denied.

An online search of court cases in several Massachusetts locations where she has lived found no record of such a charge.

“They’re claiming she has some type of criminal record we’ve seen nowhere. Show us the proof,” Pomerleau said. “She would’ve been deported years ago if that was true. And yet, here she is in the middle of this immigration imbroglio.”

A DHS spokesperson confirmed Ferreira is being held in Louisiana.

President Donald Trump’s efforts to broadly reshape immigration policy have included changing the approach to DACA recipients. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin recently issued a statement saying that people “who claim to be recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are not automatically protected from deportations. DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country.”

The annual border battle between East Ridge and Woodbury was in full swing back on Oct. 19, 2016, when Ty Okada threw a costly interception.

East ridge junior punter Grant Ryerse holds up junior Ty Okada in celebration after beating Wayzata 31-28. (Pioneer Press: Holly Peterson)

Okada was an undersized quarterback who might have weighed 150 pounds soaking wet. Instead of brooding, he channeled his frustration in that moment, squared up the defender near the sideline, then unleashed a big hit that would have made Harrison Smith proud.

That particular play might have changed the trajectory of Okada’s life.

After learning that Okada hadn’t garnered any scholarship offers, Woodbury football coach Andy Hill decided to send an email to somebody he knew at Montana State on behalf of his biggest rival.

“Your reputation is tied to those types of recommendations, so I’m not sure I would’ve done it for (just) anybody,” Hill said. “He just seemed like a good kid that deserved a shot.”

The brief sales pitch from Hill featured as many video highlights as he could find, including the big hit from Okada, which ultimately led to Montana State reaching out to East Ridge football coach Dan Fritze.

“I was like, ‘You’ve got to take this kid. You won’t regret it. You can’t go wrong,’ ” Fritze said. “They took a chance on him, and good for them.”

The rest is history for Okada. He steadily built himself into an invaluable defensive player for Montana State. And while he hit another road block after going unselected in the NFL draft, he managed to latch on with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent.

After slowly working his way up from the practice squad, Okada, 26, has turned himself into as a key contributor for the Seahawks. He has grown into a 5-foot-11, 195-pound safety that recently recorded the first interception of his career with a highlight-reel catch.

Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) makes an interception against Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

If he hadn’t recently suffered an oblique injury that could land him on injured reserve, Okada would be preparing for a game between the Seahawks and the Vikings on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field.

Nonetheless, that Okada made it to the NFL against all odds is both surprising and, well, not surprising to those that know him best. He was a standout athlete for East Ridge who carried himself with an unmatched intensity whether he was competing in football, wrestling or baseball.

“We couldn’t have imagined he would get all the way to the NFL,” Fritze said. “You also can’t be too shocked based on who he has always been at his core.”

As he reflected on their time together, Fritze noted how Okada was roughly 130 pounds as a junior, serving as the backup quarterback while East Ridge advanced all the way to the state championship game before losing a heartbreaker to Osseo.

“He had no chance of seeing the field without an injury,” Fritze said. “He hadn’t fully grown into his body yet.”

After putting in a ton of work in the weight room, Okada reached roughly 150 pounds as a senior, earning the right to be the starting quarterback, largely because of his intangibles.

“He was the best leader on the team,” Fritze said. “He was also the hardest worker on the team.”

That translated to success for Okada, who proved to be a threat with his arm and his legs en route to being named the district’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. He ran with a noticeable nastiness about him, often delivering contact rather than absorbing it.

East Ridge Raptors quarterback Ty Okada calls his own number as he rushes against the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders in the fourth quarter at East Ridge High School in Woodbury on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. East Ridge beat Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders, 21-7. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

“He didn’t seem like he would be that impactful based on his size,” Fritz said. “He succeeded because his physical toughness and mental toughness was so off the charts.”

As much as he gravitated to football from an early age, Okada actually might have been most naturally gifted as a wrestler. He qualified for the state tournament twice under the tutelage of former East Ridge wrestling coach Matt Everson.

“He was special,” Everson said. “He had this attitude where he was never going to back down.”

The gravitational pull of football proved to be too much, however, and Okada hung up the singlet to focus on getting stronger. He knew he had to add more muscle if he wanted to make it to the next level.

“He outlined his goals in a way that made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to back down,” Everson said. “It made me take a step back and be like, ‘How can I help?’ He’s always been very strong willed, a hard worker who always believed in himself.”

As for his time on the diamond, Okada was originally a catcher by trade that made the move to second base because East Ridge baseball coach Brian Sprout needed some consistency in the infield.

“He stepped right in and did the job,” Sprout said. “Just like everything else he does in life.”

There are a couple of stories that stand out to Sprout when it comes to Okada.

There was the time he played a role in the benches clearing during a game between East Ridge and Eastview in the section tournament. There was also the time he was spotted getting in some extra work in the batting cages before school, despite it being around 35 degrees late in the fall.

There’s a reason Sprout brought up both of those specific anecdotes. They perfectly encapsulate the competitive fire that has fueled him throughout his rise up the ranks.

“He’s an example for everybody to watch and strive to be like,” Sprout said. “He wasn’t supposed to go play college football. And then he did. He wasn’t supposed to play much. And then he did. He wasn’t supposed to make it to the NFL. And then he did. The opportunities kept presenting themselves because he refused to quit.”

That explains why Okada still gets mentioned in casual conversation around East Ridge nearly a decade after he graduated.

“We’re all watching what he’s doing,” Sprout said. “He’s a kid we’ll never forget.”

Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada celebrates after sacking Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

After walking on at Montana State, Okada put his head down and went to work. He switched positions pretty much as soon as he arrived on campus, carving out a niche for himself in spot minutes before eventually being put on scholarship and earning All-Big Sky honors.

It’s almost fitting that Okada was passed over in the 2023 NFL draft. It put him in position to prove the doubters wrong once again. He signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, spent an extended period of time on the practice squad, emerged as a special teams ace and is now making an impact as a defensive player with a runway to improvement.

“You add that all up and it’s pretty incredible,” Fritze said. “He worked so hard and overcame so many obstacles to get to where he is right now. We’re beaming with pride for him and his family. It’s so cool to see what he has done.”

Related Articles

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 13: Matchups key to playoff success

Vikings ‘have to stay out of our own way’ on special teams

Mizutani: Sam Darnold’s stardom was never meant for the Vikings

J.J. McCarthy is in concussion protocol. What does that mean for the Vikings?

PFF grades from the Vikings’ loss to the Packers: J.J. McCarthy struggles once again

FARGO — Paul Hedren grew up in a part of Minnesota where the Dakota War of 1862 was ignited when starving Dakota renegades raided the Lower Sioux Agency and white settlements along the Minnesota River.

Born in New Ulm, his family later moved to Olivia. Those surroundings kindled his interest in Sioux history, which led to a lifelong obsession about the Great Sioux War that followed the Minnesota uprising, a bloody conflict that culminated in Lt. Col. George Custer’s defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

Hedren’s interest in history evolved into a 37-year career with the National Park Service as a historian and superintendent . His administrative postings included overseeing the Fort Union National Historic Site near Williston, North Dakota, a replica of a major fur-trading post close to the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers.

Besides his administrative duties, Hedren also indulged his interest in history and became one of the leading experts on the Great Sioux War, writing more books on the subject than any other author.

Sitting Bull was the leading figure in the Lakota resistance during the Great Sioux War. He led the Lakotas and Cheyennes who refused to be confined to a reservation and clung to the traditional life of chasing buffalo herds.

Although Little Bighorn and other battles of the Great Sioux War have been extensively written about, Hedren was bothered that nobody had written about the entire war from the perspective of the Lakotas and Cheyennes.

His response to that omission is his latest book, “Sitting Bull’s War,” just published by Pegasus Books.

“It’s the right way to tell such a story,” drawing upon the accounts of Native American participants, with their motivations and reactions at the forefront, Hedren said.

“Nobody’s done this,” he added, recalling the impetus for the book. “How come nobody’s done this? It’s a story that’s never been told.”

The book’s subtitle on the cover crystallizes Hedren’s theme: “The Battle of the Little Big Horn and the Fight for Buffalo and Freedom on the Plains.”

Custer’s shocking defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn still captures the nation’s imagination, and that battle has overshadowed the long, desperate struggle by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and others who wanted to keep their freedom and independence.

“It’s a day in two years of fighting inside of 10 years to maintain a homeland,” Hedren said.

Not long after defeating Custer, the alliance Sitting Bull put together splintered as they fled the retribution they knew was coming. Ultimately, Sitting Bull and his most ardent followers sought asylum in Canada. At first, buffalo were plentiful and life was good.

But when the herds bordered on extinction, Sitting Bull and his followers faced starvation, and were forced to surrender at Fort Buford in 1881, ending his long struggle to maintain his freedom.

Sitting Bull’s favorite hunting lands were the Little Missouri River country that includes what today is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. “That was his home country,” Hedren said.

“He never favored the Missouri River,” which was heavily traveled by steamboats and lined with forts, making it a congested neighborhood.

But as settlers pushed westward, buffalo were driven further west, into Montana and Wyoming, where Sitting Bull and those like him followed — where they were pursued by an army determined to subdue them and drive them onto reservations.

“To understand the war is to understand the prairie alliance’s reliance on buffalo,” a great vulnerability as the herds became increasingly scarce, Hedren said.

For the government, “The prime objective is to destroy a lifeway, a way to sustain yourself for another season,” he said.

At first, the army was stymied. The Lakotas and Cheyennes were expert cavalry soldiers. Faced by superior numbers, the warriors attacked using guerilla techniques. And when they were attacked, they proved an elusive enemy.

As a result, the army turned to more brutal methods, attacking tipi villages before dawn, with indiscriminate fire killing noncombatant women and children. Then, after taking a village, they burned their lodges, dried meat and robes, leaving them hungry and destitute.

“What wins here is starvation,” Hedren said. “The whole thing is just a sad story. It is what it is. The government achieved its purposes,” forcing the holdouts to submit to reservation life.

That was Custer’s objective when he attacked an enormous village gathered by Sitting Bull on the Little Bighorn. His aim was to capture women and children, forcing a surrender, but he ran into overwhelming opposition.

The tragic devastation of a once-proud way of life is something that has long tugged at Hedren.

While posted at Fort Union in the 1980s, he often visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where he heard a program from a ranger who recited Carl Sandburg’s poem, “Buffalo Dusk,” which mourned the loss of the vast buffalo herds and those who relied on them.

“It played straight into several lifelong themes central to my own studies of the American West, the buffalo of the Great Plains, the Indian people who built lives around those majestic creatures, and, further, that time when, for buffalo and Indians, their world turned upside down,” Hedren wrote in the preface of “Sitting Bull’s War,” his 14th book.

“No other historian has mined American Indian accounts of a war with the U.S. government more thoroughly than Mr. Hedren has here,” a reviewer for the Wall Street Journal wrote. “As an encyclopedic recounting of the battles, skirmishes and other encounters of the Great Sioux War and of its antecedents, however, ‘Sitting Bull’s War’ succeeds admirably, and is a worthwhile addition to the literature on the Indian Wars of the West that students of that era will welcome.”

Related Articles

‘You arguably just shot the greatest hunting trophy in North Dakota’s history’

Minnesota energy assistance delayed by federal shutdown

UND delivers rivalry win over Minnesota for raucous crowd

North Dakota, Minnesota farmland prices keep rising despite challenges in ag industry

Train derails, driver killed after combine-train collision in rural North Dakota