New York City mayoral candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo ripped a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in the city on Tuesday while assailing the Trump administration, calling the act an “abuse of federal power.”
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email for additional information.
Why It Matters
The raid targeting street vendors on Canal Street in Lower Manhattan has ignited public outcry and political condemnation, raising questions about the use of federal force and the interplay between local and federal law enforcement.
The operation, conducted in full public view, reflected intensifying national debate over immigration policy, policing and civil liberties—issues that profoundly affect the lives and rights of New Yorkers and set precedents for enforcement strategies across the United States.
What To Know
In a post to X on Tuesday, Cuomo ripped the Trump administration, saying, “This is not who we are, and it will never be NYC when I am mayor. The Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor, not as a decoration, but as a declaration of our values and the promise of America.
“Today’s ICE raid in Chinatown was an abuse of federal power by the Trump administration: more about fear than justice, more about politics than safety. New York was built by immigrants and we will not be bullied into betraying who we are.”
Numerous federal agents representing multiple agencies, including ICE; the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS-Criminal Investigation; and Customs and Border Protection descended on Canal Street in Manhattan. DHS described the operation as “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement” against criminal activity related to the sale of counterfeit goods, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS News.
In videos spread across social media, protesters are shown, some confronting law enforcement and recording the raid with their phones. At least one protester was arrested, accused of assaulting a federal officer, according to DHS.
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What People Are Saying
Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, on X Tuesday: “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. Once again, the Trump administration chooses authoritarian theatrics that create fear, not safety. It must stop.”
New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, on X Tuesday: “.@realDonaldTrump claims he’s targeting the ‘worst of the worst.’ Today his agents used batons and pepper spray on street vendors and bystanders on Canal Street. You don’t make New York safer by attacking New Yorkers.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also on X Tuesday: “New York City does not cooperate with federal law enforcement on civil deportations, in accordance with our local laws. While we gather details about the situation, New Yorkers should know that we have no involvement. Our administration has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue their American Dreams should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals.”
What Happens Next
The protest and backlash amid the developing situation have reignited debates over municipal policies concerning sanctuary city status, and the appropriate roles of local police versus federal agencies.
