Multiple people were arrested on Saturday after demonstrators in Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown blocked federal agents from leaving a government parking garage during what appeared to be a planned immigration enforcement action, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD) and local reports.
In an email to Newsweek, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said officers saw groups of people obstructing streets and garage exits at several locations and throwing debris.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek that, after social media posts circulated directing protesters to a New York City Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) location, individuals dressed in black with backpacks, face coverings, and goggles arrived and began interfering with federal officers, including by blocking the parking garage.
Authorities said protesters were repeatedly ordered to disperse but refused, and several people were subsequently taken into custody.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump’s administration has previously targeted Democratic-led cities for increased immigration enforcement, arguing that elevated crime and homicide rates justify deploying ICE agents and, in some cases, the National Guard to reinforce local law enforcement and carry out immigration operations.
Activists and local leaders have warned that intensifying enforcement in immigrant communities, churches, and small businesses raises serious civil rights concerns and blurs the line between traditional border enforcement and interior raids. Those concerns have grown as city and state officials publicly oppose these operations.
Saturday’s protest unfolded as New York officials brace for expanded ICE activity following the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat and democratic socialist who has pledged to challenge Trump’s immigration crackdown.
What To Know
According to the NYPD, police responded at approximately 11:46 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a disorderly group near Centre Street and Howard Street in the 5th Precinct.
Local reporting indicates the confrontation began around 11 a.m. outside a government building’s garage at Centre and Hester Streets, where agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and DHS had gathered. Demonstrators formed a human chain at the garage entrance and stacked garbage bags to block vehicles from exiting, effectively interrupting the apparent operation. Video obtained by ABC News showed protesters standing in front of vehicles and chanting “ICE out of New York.”
By early afternoon, roughly 200 people had converged on the area, shouting at agents visible inside the garage. Shortly after 1:15 p.m., the standoff escalated when federal vehicles surged out of the garage. Protesters chased them down Canal Street and were seen throwing objects such as planters and trash cans, according to witnesses and local reports. At one point, a demonstrator ran in front of a moving vehicle, and a masked officer leaning out of a window appeared to spray a substance toward the crowd.
The garage is only a few blocks from the site of a large immigration raid in Lower Manhattan last month, the New York Times reported. In that earlier operation, more than 50 federal agents swept an area near Canal Street long known for counterfeit goods, arresting nine people, most of them men from West Africa.
Federal officials told ABC News that at least nine people were arrested during that raid. U.S. Representative Dan Goldman, who represents the district, said four U.S. citizens swept up in the action were detained for nearly 24 hours without facing federal charges.
What People Are Saying
NYPD
In its statement to Newsweek, the NYPD said officers responding to Saturday’s 911 call found multiple individuals blocking streets and exits and throwing debris. Police said the group was ordered several times to disperse but did not comply, leading to multiple arrests.
Department of Homeland Security
A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that online posts revealing the ICE location drew “agitators” who then interfered with lawful operations and blocked the garage. The spokesperson said NYPD officers responded to what they described as “violent rioters,” resulting in arrests.
DHS warned that publicly sharing ICE officers’ locations “puts a target on the backs” of agents, claiming that assaults on officers have risen sharply in recent years along with death threats. The spokesperson thanked NYPD for intervening and said federal officers would continue enforcing immigration laws, including the removal of people they described as dangerous offenders, and that those who attack law enforcement would be prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed.
Immigrant Advocates
Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said hundreds of New Yorkers had mobilized to protect their neighbors from ICE. He accused the NYPD of confronting and arresting protesters instead of shielding local residents, arguing that New York’s status as a sanctuary city should preclude cooperation with ICE.
Awawdeh said tensions were inflamed by federal agents’ tactics and criticized the NYPD for, in his view, enabling a broader “campaign of terror” against immigrant communities. He called for the immediate release of those arrested and urged the police department to end all collaboration with ICE, saying resources should focus on enhancing public safety for all New Yorkers.
Local Elected Officials
New York City Council Member Julie Menin wrote on X that ICE had once again endangered public safety and that Saturday’s events created a hazardous situation for both residents and NYPD officers, calling the agency’s actions “utterly irresponsible.”
