New York unveils portal for public to share ICE footage after four US citizens arrested | New York
New York State Attorney General Letitia James made a statement:Federal Action Reporting Portalform urging New York residents to share photos and videos of federal immigration enforcement action across the state, just a day after a high-profile ICE raid rocked Manhattan’s Chinatown and hundreds turned out in protest.
Four US citizens were arrested and held for “almost 24 hours” after Tuesday’s raid, a US congressman announced at a news conference on Wednesday. Protests broke out in New York City on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear and oppression,” James wrote in a statement announcing the portal.
“If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I ask you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to investigating these reports and evaluating any violations of the law.”
The form offers a place to specify location information, as well as fields to submit images and video footage of the print. Before submitting the application, users must check the box that states “the attorney general may use any document, photograph, or video I submit in a public document, including in connection with a legal proceeding or a public report or statement.”
The Guardian has contacted James’ office for more information.
The Chinatown raid, which observers said included more than 50 federal agents, took place in a well-known area of Manhattan; here fake bags, accessories, jewelry and other goods are sold in bulk every day, often to tourists.
Videos of Tuesday’s raid demonstration Several masked and armed federal agents zip-tie a man into custody and drive away bystanders. Scores of New Yorkers followed the agents through the streets and sidewalks. An armored military vehicle was also seen driving through the streets of the city. ICE issued a press release detailing the alleged criminal records of some detained immigrants.
At a press conference held with the New York immigrant rights coalition on Wednesday, Democratic congressman Dan Goldman said that four American citizens were detained by ICE for approximately 24 hours and that “there were no circumstances that warranted the detention of four American citizens without cause.” He said the citizens were released without being charged on Wednesday.
“There’s a clear goal here. It’s not to pick up criminals off the street and deport them,” Goldman said. “This is a militarized effort to incite tension. This is purely an excuse to encourage violence for this administration to bring in the military to stop the violence of its own making.”
Outrage over the ICE raid spread quickly; All three mayoral candidates condemned the raid, as did Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said, “The Trump administration is once again choosing authoritarian theater plays that create fear, not security. This needs to stop.” wrote to x.
New York City immigrant rights groups also spoke.
“ICE, with military-style vehicles, masked agents and riot gear, descended on Manhattan’s Chinatown to target street vendors trying to make a living. This operation had nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with terrorizing immigrant families and communities,” said Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigrant Coalition.
ICE policy prohibits: Detention of US citizens and the agency said it wasn’t Arrest or detain US citizens. But ProPublica’s reporting Found more than 170 US citizens have been held against their will by ICE since the beginning of the second Trump administration.
ICE raids have been popping up more and more this year in New York and across the country.
A. 16 October raid The raid in midtown Manhattan was the first known raid on an immigrant shelter by the current Trump administration. Protests against ICE are ubiquitous, as are allegations of violence and inhumane treatment.
Recently, a letter filed by the ACLU and other civil rights groups alleged medical negligence of pregnant women in ICE facilities.
