Mayor Eric Adams said New York City is not cooperating with federal law enforcement regarding civil deportations in accordance with local law.
Protests against ICE raids seen in other cities
Protests against immigration enforcement that began in Los Angeles are now being seen in cities across the country, including New York and Austin.
NEW YORK – Federal agents raided several busy streets in Lower Manhattan on October 21 in an immigration crackdown targeting street vendors.
Video from local news outlets showed masked agents walking along Canal Street, a popular tourist hub in the Chinatown district, handcuffing people in the afternoon. It is unclear how many people were detained.
Protests broke out in the area. Traffic was stopped and bystanders recorded the incident on their cellphones as officers detained people.
Video obtained by USA TODAY showed a Department of Homeland Security armored vehicle driving down Lafayette Street from the direction of the canal toward Manhattan’s federal building, which houses immigration court and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities. Protesters can be seen shouting at agents as they march past people to make way for cars.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies conducted a “targeted intelligence-driven operation on Canal Street” that “focused on criminal activity related to the sale of counterfeit goods.”
Canal Street is a common area where people sell clothing, accessories, and food on the crowded sidewalks.
She said authorities also include the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS Criminal Investigation and Customs and Border Protection.
“During this law enforcement operation, a mob yelling obscenities became violent and disrupted law enforcement operations, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
He said at least one person had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a federal officer, adding that details about those arrested would be available soon.
Mourad Awaudeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said he initially witnessed officers detaining African peddlers on the street and placing them in unmarked vehicles. Awadeh said the agents refused to answer questions, including who was in custody and whether they had a judicial warrant for their arrest.
Dozens of operatives then swarmed the area with military vehicles as supporters and bystanders began to gather, police said. Agents used batons and maces against demonstrators.
“If they are going to warn us, New Yorkers are ready to fight for each other and fight peacefully,” Awadeh told USA TODAY by phone from the scene. “We’re going to fight for democracy because that’s where this issue is going.”
The New York City Police Department said on social media that it was not involved in the federal operation. Mayor Eric Adams said New York City does not cooperate with federal law enforcement regarding civil deportations, pursuant to a local law commonly referred to as sanctuary policy.
“Our administration has made it clear that undocumented New Yorkers seeking to pursue the American Dream should not be targeted by law enforcement, and instead should focus resources on violent criminals,” he said on social media.
In January, ICE conducted a highly publicized raid in New York City. Investigators also detained people attending immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins in lower Manhattan.
Democratic Gov. Cathy Hochul said on social media that President Donald Trump claims he is “targeting the worst of the worst.” Instead, she said, agents used “batons and pepper spray against street vendors and onlookers on Canal Street.”
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).
