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A federal raid in New York City’s Chinatown targeting criminal activity tied to the sale of counterfeit goods turned chaotic Friday as protesters clashed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, prompting city officials to say they had no role in the operation.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that ICE and federal partners conducted a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” on Canal Street focused on criminal activity related to the sale of alleged counterfeit goods.
“During this law enforcement operation, rioters who were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement,” McLaughlin wrote in a statement. “Already, one rioter has been arrested for assault on a federal officer.”
During a news conference Tuesday night, Murad Awawdeh, vice president of advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition, said between 15 and 40 vendors were arrested, and at least two locals were taken into custody for protesting and blocking their arrest efforts.
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Federal agents conduct an immigration sweep on Canal Street in Chinatown as protesters gather, Tuesday, in New York. (Jake Offenhartz/AP Photo)
City officials quickly moved to distance themselves from the raid.
Mayor Eric Adams’ press secretary, Kayla Mamelak Altus, told Fox News that New York City “never cooperates with federal law enforcement on civil deportation matters, in accordance with local laws,” and had “no involvement in this matter.”
“Mayor Adams has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue the American Dream should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals,” she said.
City officials said police were monitoring the situation near Canal Street and 26 Federal Plaza but had “matters under control.” However, if circumstances were to escalate and an individual assaults or interferes with a legal law enforcement action, a source said Adams instructed the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to intervene.
The source added there have been numerous multi-agency enforcement actions on Canal Street this year, and any illegal activity should be addressed by the NYPD.
NYPD Strategic Response Group monitors a crowd outside 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday in New York City. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
“We saw what looked like tanks in our streets,” said Jumaane Williams, a New York City public advocate. “We saw people who were armed and in tactical gear for vendors, which was planned. Many of you actually got advance notice that this was going to happen. They were targeting, in this case, Black vendors on Canal Street. That’s what occurred… None of this is about public safety. It is about fear and chaos.”
He added that what gives him hope is that, in a few months, he believes “we are going to have a mayor who actually cares about New Yorkers and who will be here joined with us.”
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Federal agents and law enforcement stand outside 26 Federal Plaza on Oct. 21, 2025, in New York City. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani weighed in on X, calling the Manhattan raid “aggressive and reckless.”
“Federal agents from ICE and HSI—some in military fatigues and masks—descended on Chinatown today in an aggressive and reckless raid on immigrant street vendors,” Mamdani wrote in a post. “Once again, the Trump administration chooses authoritarian theatrics that create fear, not safety. It must stop.”
Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further comment.
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“Let’s be clear, street vendors are not a national security threat,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “They are not a national security threat… There is no excuse for sending military style vehicles and a national law enforcement response for street vendors, whether they were sourced from social media or otherwise.”
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DHS said it will release additional details about the criminals arrested as soon as they become available.
ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.