A loud group of anti-ICE protesters caused chaos in Manhattan Tuesday night — and made two major missteps.
First, demonstrators flooded a Hilton Garden Inn after reportedly being told, incorrectly, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were staying there, according to the New York Post. Then, after repeated warnings to leave, they refused to disperse — and police began making arrests.
More than 60 people were taken into custody and charged with trespassing, according to reports.
The disruption began around 6 p.m., when protesters pushed into the hotel lobby, blowing whistles and chanting anti-ICE slogans. By about 8 p.m., officers were arresting individuals inside the building while the crowd outside broke up.
Some of those detained accused Hilton of “profiting” from alleged abuse and claimed the company was “housing the modern-day Gestapo.” Beyond the heated rhetoric, the demonstration appeared to have targeted the wrong location — or at least the wrong moment.
“Sources confirmed that no federal agents were staying at the hotel Tuesday night,” the New York Post reported.
The report did not say whether ICE or Department of Homeland Security personnel had ever stayed at that hotel, but it indicated none were present during Tuesday’s protest.
The arrests triggered mixed reactions online. Some users applauded what they saw as overdue enforcement, while others questioned whether prosecutors would pursue the cases in Manhattan, where District Attorney Alvin Bragg has drawn criticism from conservatives.
“This is how it should have been right from the start,” one X user wrote.
“They will more than likely be right back out, especially with Alvin Bragg as district attorney,” another commenter replied.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also weighed in, offering a statement that praised both the protesters and the police response.
“Mayor Mamdani commends the protestors who exercised their right to protest against ICE today,” a representative said in a statement, according to WPIX in New York.
The statement added, “ICE is a rogue agency that has repeatedly carried out cruel, inhumane, and lawless raids and arrests of American citizens.”
“The Mayor is also pleased with the NYPD’s response to the protest and that today’s demonstration concluded without violence.”
