ICE Raid in Chinatown Sparks Protests and Political Backlash

"...Demonstrators were seen near a federal building after an unknown number of detainees were taken by agents..."

"...Many shouted chants including "ICE out of New York" and "No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA."..."

"...Videos of the raid show multiple masked and armed federal agents zip-tying and detaining a man, and shoving away onlookers...."

"...Throngs of New Yorkers followed the agents through the streets and down the sidewalks...."

"...An armored military vehicle was also seen rolling through the city streets...."

"..."Is this worth the paycheck? Selling your soul?" one woman can be heard shouting at agents...."

"...Murad Awawdeh, vice-president of advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, condemned the raid to reporters on Tuesday night and said that between 15 and 40 vendors were arrested...."

"...Awawdeh also noted that at least two locals were taken into custody for protesting and blocking ICE's efforts...."

"..."You don't see these scenes in democracy. You see them in fascist regimes," Awawdeh told a crowd. "We need to continue to stand up and fight back."..."

"...Local city council member Christopher Marte told the City that he too was alarmed by the agents' conduct...."

"..."The amount of weapons that they had on the street pointed at bystanders, something I've never seen in my life," he said...."

"...The NYPD distanced itself from the raids, tweeting that it had "no involvement in the federal operation that took place on Canal street this afternoon."..."

"...However, onlookers noted that NYPD riot cops appeared to arrest several people protesting the ICE raid...."

"...Eric Adams, New York City's mayor, quote-tweeted the NYPD's missive and emphasized: "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," he wrote...."

"...New York City mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo shared similar notes of criticism, with Mamdani calling the raid "aggressive and reckless" and Cuomo calling it "more about fear than justice, more about politics than safety."..."

"...Both men – and Kathy Hochul, New York governor – took aim at Donald Trump directly...."

"..."[Donald Trump] claims he's targeting the 'worst of the worst.' Today his 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...."

"..."Once again, the Trump administration chooses authoritarian theatrics that create fear, not safety. It must stop," wrote Mamdani...."

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

"...New York City councilmember Shahana Hanif also condemned the ICE raids in a press conference, saying that politicians across the city and the state were resolutely opposed to ICE raids...."

"..."We are against ICE's blatantly violent tactics. Hordes of ICE agents showing up is unacceptable, immoral, unjust," Hanif said...."

"...ICE raids with masked agents and have become commonplace in immigrant enclaves across the country as have protests against them...."

"...Protests against ICE have brought federal crackdowns to cities including 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 in midtown Manhattan was the first known raid on a migrant shelter of the current Trump administration...."

"...Notably, many ICE raids have come with documented violence...."

"...ICE has used extreme force in Chicago including pepper balling a priest, pepper-balling the inside of a journalist's car, and body-slamming a US congressional candidate...."

"...In New York, an ICE agent was "relieved of his duties" after body-slamming a woman to the ground in an immigration court house, but was reportedly back on the job shortly thereafter...."