NEW YORK (AP) — Drives of irate New Yorkers encircled federal officials and tried to stop them from driving off Tuesday, turning an immigration enforcement sweep targeting shops on Manhattan's renowned Canal Street into a chaotic situation that resulted in arrests and heated standoffs along a busy downtown thoroughfare.
Federal agents spread out throughout a stretch of Chinatown that has long been a not-so-underground market for counterfeit designer handbags, watches, perfumes, gadgets, and other items, and the altercation started just after 4 p.m.
Among other arrests in the region, an Associated Press reporter saw dozens of officers apprehend a street vendor selling blinged smartphone cases.
Federal agents spread out throughout a stretch of Chinatown that has long been a not-so-underground market for counterfeit designer handbags, watches, perfumes, gadgets, and other items, and the altercation started just after 4 p.m.
Among other arrests in the region, an Associated Press reporter saw dozens of officers apprehend a street vendor selling blinged smartphone cases.
As they yelled, "ICE out of New York," and urged more pedestrians to join them, a group of demonstrators, many of whom seemed to be heading home from work, encircled the masked cops and tried to block their car.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol, and other federal authorities then tried to clear the streets, frequently shoving protesters to the ground and threatening them with pepper spray before arresting them.
Some of the federal agents fled on foot as more New Yorkers joined the melee, and were followed by yelling cars and jeering demonstrators. In a military tactical van, more federal agents arrived with tactical equipment and long rifles.
The agents were carrying out an enforcement operation targeting vendors of "counterfeit goods," according to Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
According to her, "rioters who were yelling profanities turned violent and obstructed law enforcement duties, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement, during this law enforcement operation."
According to McLaughlin, at least one suspect was taken into custody for attacking an officer. When asked how many vendors were being held, she did not answer.
Days prior to the search, a conservative influencer told the official ICE account to "check this corner out" after posting a video on X of a group of individuals selling bags on the street.
Conflicts between demonstrators and immigration officials have occurred in Los Angeles and other cities, but they have been less common on New York City streets. Mayor Eric Adams has partly ascribed this to his collaboration with President Donald Trump's administration.
If Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, wins the election in two weeks, Trump has threatened to send federal troops to the city.
Days prior to the search, a conservative influencer told the official ICE account to "check this corner out" after posting a video on X of a group of individuals selling bags on the street.
Conflicts between demonstrators and immigration officials have occurred in Los Angeles and other cities, but they have been less common on New York City streets. Mayor Eric Adams has partly ascribed this to his collaboration with President Donald Trump's administration.
If Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, wins the election in two weeks, Trump has threatened to send federal troops to the city.
A spokesman for the FBI said Tuesday that special agents were working on immigration enforcement in New York after DHS asked them to assist with "major operations."
According to Mayor Eric Adams, the city was still gathering information and was not involved in Tuesday's sweep.
"Our administration has made it clear that resources should be directed toward violent criminals and not undocumented New Yorkers who are attempting to fulfill their American Dreams," he said.
The president of the New York Immigration Coalition, Murad Awawdeh, charged in a statement that the Trump administration was attempting to stage a "violent spectacle" on the city's streets.
"This operation was all about terrorizing immigrant families and communities, and it had nothing to do with public safety," he stated.
"Our administration has made it clear that resources should be directed toward violent criminals and not undocumented New Yorkers who are attempting to fulfill their American Dreams," he said.
The president of the New York Immigration Coalition, Murad Awawdeh, charged in a statement that the Trump administration was attempting to stage a "violent spectacle" on the city's streets.
"This operation was all about terrorizing immigrant families and communities, and it had nothing to do with public safety," he stated.
 Protesters approach immigration officers performing a sweep on New York City's renowned Canal Street.){kind=link}
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