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CHINATOWN, Manhattan (WABC) — Officials say nine people were arrested when federal agents descended on Canal Street to target illegal street vendors, sparking chaos and protests.
On Wednesday, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News that New York City will see an “increase in ICE arrests” because there are “so many criminal illegal” immigrants.
“You will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again. It’s definitely intelligence driven, it’s not random,” Lyons said. “We aren’t pulling people off the street. There was a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity that we showed up on Canal Street,”
On Canal Street Wednesday morning, there was an unusual sense of peace and tranquility on what is usually a hub of illegal commerce.
Empty sidewalks were free of the illegal street vendors hawking fake designer label purses and luxury watches.
If that was the mission of federal agents Tuesday afternoon, to clear the scene of vendors who often hail from West Africa, mission accomplished.
It was a chaotic scene in Chinatown on Tuesday when a swarm of masked immigration officers, ATF and Homeland Security agents, and other federal law enforcement all pushed, pulled, and detained the vendors who are a fixture on the sidewalks of Canal Street.
The show of force quickly generated a rather vocal response from ICE protesters who immediately started recording video and taking pictures of agents at work. Pushing and shoving soon followed.
In a statement, a Homeland Security spokesperson said the agents, “Conducted a targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City focused on criminal activity related to selling counterfeit goods.”
Jason Jackson, an elevator repairman who works in the area, said he wouldn’t be surprised if social media videos taken by ICE supporters led federal agents to target this part of Manhattan.
“I definitely think that is how it went. Because this has been going on for a long time and just out of nowhere, they want to crack down on it,” Jackson said.
Mayor Eric Adams, in an effort to distant himself and the city from what happened said in a statement in part that “New Yorkers should know we have no involvement.”
Following the surprise crackdown, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a portal for members of the public to submit photos and videos of ICE enforcement actions.
In a statement, James vowed to review the materials to determine if any laws were violated, including “unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
“Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation,” James said. “If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation.”
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Joe Torres
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