ICE Canal Street Raid Detains Nine Migrants

Federal immigration agents from ICE and other DHS offices carried out a targeted, intelligence‑driven raid on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan Tuesday to crack down on vendors selling counterfeit goods. Video and eyewitness accounts showed dozens of masked agents, tactical vehicles including a BearCat, and the use of pepper spray and batons as crowds of shoppers and protesters surrounded agents and attempted to block arrests. Federal officials said nine undocumented migrants from West Africa with prior criminal records were detained and that several had been released into the U.S. after recent border crossings, a claim decried by local leaders. Authorities reported a total of 14 arrests in the operation — the nine immigration detainees plus multiple protesters charged with assault or obstruction — though counts varied across outlets. The NYPD said it was not involved. The raid provoked sharp political backlash from city and state officials and activists, while ICE leaders promised intensified enforcement in New York.