Protests erupt in New York City after ICE raids Chinatown over ‘counterfeit goods’ | New York

Hundreds of people participated in the protests that broke out in New York on Tuesday evening, and an unknown number of people were detained, following the raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Chinatown neighborhood earlier in the day regarding the “sale of counterfeit goods”.

Hours after federal agents descended on lower Manhattan, demonstrators were seen gathering near Immigration Building, 26th Federal Plaza, where they believed the detainees were being taken. Many slogans such as ‘ were shouted.Ice came out of New York” and “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA.”

Videos of the 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.

“Is this worth the paycheck? Selling your soul?” A woman can be heard yelling at the agents.

The raid, which observers said involved more than 50 federal agents, took place in a well-known area of ​​Manhattan where counterfeit handbags, accessories, jewelry and other items are sold in bulk every day, mostly to tourists.

It is not yet known how many people were detained during the raid, but an eyewitness said: New York Daily News He said he saw at least seven people detained.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told the Guardian: “ICE and its federal partners, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI and CBP, conducted a targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City, focusing on criminal activity related to the sale of counterfeit goods. During this law enforcement operation, obscene language saying that the rebels turned violent and resorted to violence. Obstructed law enforcement officers, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement officers. One rioter has already been arrested for assaulting a federal officer.

“We will have more details about the arrested criminals as soon as they become available.”

Murad Awawdeh, vice president of advocacy for the New York Immigration Coalition, condemned the raid on reporters Tuesday night and said between 15 and 40 vendors were arrested. Awawdeh also noted that at least two local people were detained for protesting and obstructing ICE’s efforts.

“You don’t see these scenes in democracy. You see these in fascist regimes,” Awawdeh told the crowd. “We must stand up and continue fighting”

Local councilor Christopher Marte said: City He said he, too, was alarmed by the agents’ behavior.

“The amount of weapons they had on the street was a sign to those around them; it was something I’ve never seen in my life,” he said.

NYPD moves away from raids tweet this “had nothing to do with the federal operation that took place on Canal Street this afternoon.” But those who watch noted It turns out that NYPD riot police arrested several people protesting the ICE raid.

New York Mayor Eric Adams quote-tweeted The NYPD’s letter emphasized: “New York City does not cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting civilians, consistent with our local laws.”

“As we gather details about the situation, New Yorkers should know that we had no involvement. Our administration has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue their American Dream should not be targets of law enforcement and that resources should instead be focused on violent criminals,” he wrote.

New York mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo shared similar notes of criticism with Mamdani to call Raid “aggressive and reckless” and Cuomo to call “it is more about fear than justice, more about politics than security.”

Both men (and New York governor Kathy Hochul) took direct aim at Donald Trump.

“[Donald Trump] He claims to be targeting the ‘worst of the worst’. Today, their agents used batons and pepper spray on street vendors and bystanders on Canal Street. “You don’t make New York safer by attacking New Yorkers,” Hochul wrote.

“The Trump administration is once again opting for authoritarian theater that creates fear, not security. This needs to stop,” Mamdani wrote.

“Today’s ICE raid in Chinatown was an abuse of federal power by the Trump administration,” Cuomo wrote.

New York City councilwoman Shahana Hanif also condemned the Ice raids at a news conference, saying politicians in the city and state are staunchly opposed to ICE raids.

“We oppose ICE’s blatant violent tactics. The emergence of Hordes of Ice agents is unacceptable, immoral and unjust,” Hanif said.

ICE raids by masked agents have become commonplace in immigrant enclaves across the country, as have protests against them. Protests against ICE led to federal crackdowns in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland.

Tuesday’s Chinatown raid is not the first in the New York City area in recent weeks. A. 16 October raid The raid in midtown Manhattan was the first known raid on an immigrant shelter by the current Trump administration.

Notably, many ICE raids came with documented violence. ICE has used excessive force in Chicago, including pepper-spraying a priest, pepper-spraying a journalist’s car, and body-slamming a U.S. congressional candidate.

An ICE agent in New York was “relieved of duty” after he knocked a woman to the ground in immigration court. It was reported that he returned to duty after a short while.

Immigrants with no criminal record are now the largest group in ICE detention, and the agency has detained immigrants. At least 170 US citizens by 2025.