Federal immigration raid on Canal Street vendors sparks confrontation in Manhattan’s Chinatown
A multi-agency federal immigration enforcement operation targeting street vendors on Manhattan’s Canal Street descended into chaos on Tuesday afternoon, as hundreds of New Yorkers confronted heavily armed agents and attempted to block arrests along the bustling commercial corridor.
The operation began around 3 p.m. in the area between Lafayette and Centre Streets, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, alongside Border Patrol, FBI, DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection officers, detained vendors who sell merchandise on the sidewalk. An Associated Press reporter observed dozens of agents detaining a street vendor selling bedazzled smartphone cases, one of numerous arrests in the area.
Confrontation and arrests
The scene quickly escalated as bystanders and protesters surrounded masked federal officers, attempting to block their vehicles while chanting “ICE out of New York” and calling on pedestrians to join them. Agents responded by threatening demonstrators with pepper spray and, in some cases, shoving protesters to the ground before detaining them.
Additional federal agents arrived in tactical gear, carrying long guns, accompanied by a military-style armored vehicle known as a BearCat. Video footage showed the chaos as vendors packed up their tables and attempted to flee, with several people running and falling as authorities pursued them.
“During this law enforcement operation, rioters who were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement. Already, one rioter has been arrested for assault on a federal officer.”
— Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary
According to Murad Awawdeh, vice president of advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, between 15 and 40 vendors were arrested, along with at least two locals taken into custody for protesting and attempting to block arrest efforts.
Federal justification and political context
Department of Homeland Security officials characterized the operation as a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” focused on criminal activity related to selling counterfeit goods. Canal Street has long served as a hub for the city’s marketplace of knockoff designer handbags, watches, perfumes, sunglasses, phones, and electronics.
The raid 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, claiming that “20 to 30 illegal immigrants” from Senegal were “operating a black market”. The post had accumulated more than 4.3 million views as of Tuesday.
Awawdeh criticized the operation as politically motivated and influenced by right-wing social media calls for ICE action.
City officials distance themselves
New York City officials were quick to distance themselves from the federal operation. The NYPD stated on X that it had “no involvement in the federal operation that took place on Canal Street this afternoon”.
Mayor Eric Adams’ press secretary, Kayla Mamelak Altus, emphasized that the city maintains its sanctuary policies:
“New York City does not cooperate with federal law enforcement on civil deportations, in accordance with our local laws. While we gather details about the situation, New Yorkers should know that we have no involvement. Our administration has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue their American Dreams should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals.”
— Mayor Eric Adams
Council members condemn raid
City Council Member Christopher Marte, who represents the area, arrived approximately 20 minutes after federal agents made the first arrest and witnessed the operation escalate from seven ICE agents to over 80 within 30 minutes.
“Today’s raid on Canal Street was 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. This kind of escalation is unnecessary, unacceptable, and antithetical to our city’s values as a sanctuary for all people.”
— Council Member Christopher Marte
Later in the evening, multiple City Council members, including Sandy Nurse, Alexa Avilés, Tiffany Cabán, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, and Mart,e joined protesters near 26 Federal Plaza, chanting “ICE out of New York” as dozens of NYPD officers supervised the demonstration.
Broader context
The Canal Street operation represents the latest in a series of aggressive immigration enforcement actions under the Trump administration. Similar operations in Los Angeles and Chicago have also resulted in violent confrontations, with a U.S. marshal and a suspect wounded during an ICE operation in Los Angeles on the same day.
The detained individuals were brought to nearby Federal Plaza, which houses an immigration court and an ICE holding facility. Traffic along Canal Street came to a standstill as law enforcement officers clashed with bystanders.
Edwin Jean, a Brooklyn resident, told reporters he was briefly restrained by agents after refusing to provide identification, noting, “This is the first time this has happened here in Manhattan. They never come over here”.
The New York Immigration Coalition has mobilized to verify the number of people detained and is offering legal assistance to those affected. By early evening, around 100 individuals had congregated outside 26 Federal Plaza to protest the arrests.