U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Chinatown’s Canal Street on Tuesday afternoon, detaining several street vendors in an operation that drew immediate and fierce backlash from bystanders and immigrant advocates.
The operation began at about 3 p.m. in the area of Centre and Canal Streets where ICE agents showed up to question street vendors as part of an alleged operation to tackle counterfeit goods, according to a Homeland Security official.
Videos taken by amNewYork show a crowd of New Yorkers surrounding the federal agents as they carried out the enforcement action in Lower Manhattan. Within moments, ICE agents moved in to arrest some of the bystanders as well, prompting further fury from the gathering crowd.
New Yorkers pulled out their cellphones and began recording the ICE operation. Some onlookers shouted at the agents, calling the arrests “disgusting” and demanding they stop as they tackled one individual to the ground.
One person told the agents, “Does that feel good? I bet your mom and dad are so proud of you….You should be ashamed of yourself.”
ICE’s Chinatown raid turns chaotic
When the agents went to arrest a vendor, who appeared to be African, members of the crowd became incensed. Some became enraged to the point of yelling in ICE agents’ faces, comparing them to Nazis and calling them fascists.
As ICE agents went to their vehicles, New Yorkers ran into the streets. The agents then began pushing people and tackling some to the ground. That led to more enraged bystanders joining the mob and lashing out at the ICE agents.
The feds then pulled out batons and riot shields in an effort to get the crowd under control, striking some in the process.
The crowd followed ICE agents retreated back to 26 Federal Plaza, the site of many immigrant detentions in recent months, shouting “ICE out of New York.” The crowd was then met by more federal agents — some of whom were equipped with machine guns and looking ready for combat.
As the agents entered Federal Plaza, the NYPD arrived on the scene in riot gear to halt the advancing crowd. As of 5:20 p.m., many crowd members remained outside Federal Plaza.
“This doesn’t make anyone safer,” Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, told amNewYork. “It actually makes everyone a lot more unsafe when people don’t feel like they can go to the police or to law enforcement with their issues.”
Awawdeh said his organization is verifying the number of people detained and offering legal assistance to those affected. He criticized the operation as politically motivated and influenced by online calls from right-wing influencers urging ICE to act.
The operation came two days after Turning Point USA contributor Savannah Hernandez posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, urging ICE to “check out” the corner of Broadway and Canal Street.
In her post, which had more than 4.3 million views as of Tuesday, Hernandez claimed that “20 to 30 illegal immigrants” from Senegal were “operating a black market” and selling goods without licenses.
US Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement issued to amNewYork, claimed that “ICE and its federal partners … conducted a targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation on Canal Street” that was “focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit good (sic).” In the past, the NYPD has conducted numerous raids on Canal Street targeting counterfeit merchandise, although these operations have typically been conducted without federal intervention.
McLaughlin said that “rioters were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties.” She stated that at least one individual had been arrested for assault on a federal officer.
Council Member Christopher Marte, who represents the area, condemned the operation as “a horrifying display of federal overreach.”
“ICE has no place in New York City, especially not in the heart of Chinatown, terrorizing our immigrant neighbors with military vehicles and masked agents,” Marte said in a statement. “This kind of escalation is unnecessary, unacceptable, and antithetical to our city’s values as a sanctuary for all people.”
Marte said the challenges around street vending on Canal Street “are real and must be addressed,” but added that “federal agents storming our streets and targeting community members is not the solution.”
He criticized Mayor Eric Adams for “collaborating with federal immigration authorities” and deploying the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group alongside ICE agents, calling it “a clear violation of New York City’s sanctuary city laws.”
“Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and accountability, not fear, raids, and collaboration with agencies that have no place in our city,” Marte said.
An NYPD spokesperson told amNewYork that the department had no role in the federal operation carried out by ICE, and that officers were instead deployed to 26 Federal Plaza to monitor demonstrations and “keep the peace.”
The spokesperson said the deployment was similar to prior protest responses and emphasized that it was intended to allow people to exercise their First Amendment rights while ensuring public safety and protecting property.
Federal officials did not immediately comment on the incident.
City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said the Adams administration was aware of the federal law enforcement action on Canal Street, and was “gathering more details,” but that the NYPD had no role in the raid.
“We never cooperate with federal law enforcement on civil deportation matters, in accordance with local laws, and have no involvement in this matter,” Mamelak said. “Mayor Adams has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue the American Dream should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals.”
A City Hall official said senior administration staff were on the ground monitoring protests at 26 Federal Plaza and that the NYPD had the situation under control. The official added that if circumstances escalate and someone interferes with a lawful enforcement action, Mayor Adams has instructed the NYPD to intervene.
This is a developing story. Check back with amNY.com later for updates.
