ICE raids in NYC spark Chinatown protests
Federal operation detains vendors accused of selling counterfeits
Hundreds of people gathered outside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan after a large federal operation in Chinatown targeting vendors accused of selling counterfeit goods resulted in multiple detentions. Videos from the scene showed masked, armed agents restraining individuals and forcing back onlookers as crowds trailed them through streets and sidewalks. Witnesses reported that at least seven people were taken into custody, while advocacy groups estimated between 15 and 40 vendors arrested and said at least two locals were detained for protesting or obstructing agents.
Federal authorities said the operation targeted criminal activity linked to counterfeit sales and involved ICE alongside the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol and other agencies. Observers also reported seeing an armored vehicle. The NYPD said it had no role in the federal action, though bystander accounts and footage showed city officers arresting several protesters.
Demonstrators blocked entrances and chanted against ICE, carrying slogans such as “ICE out of New York” and accusing agents of excessive force. A woman heckled officers on the street, while videos captured agents zip-tying suspects and pushing away crowds. Protest organizers and community advocates denounced the show of force and framed the raids as an attack on immigrant livelihoods in popular tourist markets where counterfeit handbags, accessories and jewelry are widely sold.
City and state officials criticized the operation. The mayor reiterated that New York City does not cooperate with federal civil deportation enforcement and emphasized the administration’s policy prioritizing resources for violent crime rather than immigration enforcement. Mayoral candidates and the governor condemned the raids as politically motivated and heavy-handed; several council members called the tactics unacceptable and urged greater protections for undocumented residents and vendors.
Advocates described the raids as part of a broader pattern of aggressive ICE actions in immigrant neighborhoods nationwide, noting recent incidents in other cities where forceful tactics and controversial arrests were documented. Critics highlighted reports that ICE is increasingly detaining immigrants without criminal records and pointed to past episodes of alleged brutality, including officers using pepper spray or physically subduing bystanders.
