ICE Raids NYC’s Canal Street As Rioters Clash With Feds Over Illegal Immigrant Arrests
Federal immigration agents swarmed Canal Street in Manhattan Tuesday in a targeted raid aimed at taking down criminal illegal immigrants, triggering violent clashes with left-wing agitators determined to obstruct the arrests.
According to Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, nine African illegal immigrants with extensive criminal histories were arrested during the operation. Their charges include drug trafficking, robbery, assault, and forgery—crimes that have plagued the infamous Canal Street corridor for years.
Lyons confirmed to Fox News that five of those arrested had originally crossed the border illegally and were later released under Biden administration policies. “We do these based on criminal intelligence, and that’s what we had,” he said.
As ICE agents executed the operation, chaos erupted. A crowd of radical protestors swarmed the scene, screaming at officers and attempting to block federal vehicles. DHS sources told media outlets that some rioters tried to physically obstruct arrests, while others hurled insults like “Nazi” and “fascist” at law enforcement.
“We know everywhere we go, because of elected officials’ rhetoric encouraging hostility toward ICE, we have these protests,” said Lyons, pointing to local Democrat leadership that has long demonized immigration enforcement.
Despite the violent resistance, Lyons promised that the agency’s efforts in New York are only ramping up. “You will see an increase in ICE arrests because there are so many criminal illegal aliens that have been released in New York specifically,” he said. “New York City is harboring them due to lack of cooperation. So you will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again.”
The Canal Street raid came on the heels of a viral video from Turning Point USA’s Savanah Hernandez, who documented groups of African migrants selling counterfeit designer bags along the strip—many of whom were seen fleeing at the sight of NYPD officers. Hernandez posted to X urging ICE to investigate the area.
The crackdown is part of a wider Trump administration push to restore law and order in sanctuary cities, where violent crime and illegal immigration have become inextricably linked. ICE has also increased its presence in Chicago, San Francisco, and Portland—cities that have resisted cooperation with federal law enforcement.
While the operation on Canal Street was met with resistance from left-wing activists, it’s being praised by New Yorkers who are fed up with rising crime and political leadership that prioritizes criminal aliens over law-abiding citizens. The Trump administration, for its part, says this is just the beginning.