The U.S. Department of Justice has dismissed eight immigration judges in New York City, the association representing them said Tuesday, escalating tensions with the courts as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its crackdown on undocumented migrants.

The National Association of Immigration Judges confirmed media reports that all eight judges worked at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, home to a busy immigration court that handles cases involving migrants seeking to regularize their status.

For months, masked federal officers have patrolled the hallways of the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building, where the court sits. Officers regularly arrest migrants as they leave hearings, often under the watch of journalists who gather outside the courtroom doors.

Videos of scuffles with officers and of families being separated have spread widely online, turning 26 Federal Plaza into a potent symbol of the administration’s nationwide immigration enforcement campaign.

It remains unclear why the eight judges were dismissed. But they join roughly 90 judges who have been removed over the past year out of about 600 nationwide, according to a New York Times report.

Advocacy groups say the dismissals reflect an effort to replace the departing judges with others who may be more closely aligned with the administration’s approach to immigration, especially as the court system faces crushing backlogs.

The action came days after several dozen people gathered in Manhattan to try to stop a possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid targeting street vendors. New York police made several arrests as tensions spilled into the streets.

New York, a self-proclaimed sanctuary city, limits cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities, although the designation does not prevent federal officers from conducting operations within the city.