Bloomberg — Protesters thwarted a planned immigration operation in Lower Manhattan, forcing federal agents into retreat after blocking the ramp of a Department of Homeland Security parking garage near Chinatown.
The New York City Police Department said the first 911 call came at 11:46 a.m. Saturday. When officers arrived, they found more than 100 people in the street, blocking exits and throwing garbage. Protesters ignored repeated orders to disperse, and several individuals were taken into custody, according to a police spokeswoman.
Protesters began gathering after spotting unmarked federal vehicles entering the garage at Centre and Howard Streets. As agents attempted to leave, demonstrators linked arms across the ramp and refused to move. After police placed metal barricades between the groups, the standoff grew as agents maneuvered their SUVs and the crowd surged toward the exit.
The NYPD said officers made multiple arrests after observing individuals blocking streets and exits and throwing debris. Traffic was restored in the early afternoon. Federal officials didn’t say what the planned operation involved or whether it would be attempted again. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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The clash stopped the operation before it began. A person briefed on the matter said federal agents eventually returned to New Jersey after determining they could not safely continue.
Later in the afternoon, a conference call was held between Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the New York office Chris Raia, and Ricky Patel, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, according to a person with knowledge of the call.
Patel apologized for the attempted operation, the person said. Tisch told the federal officials the situation was unacceptable and that similar shows of force had twice created disorder on city streets. She warned that if it happened again, someone would get hurt and responsibility would fall on the federal agencies involved.
The standoff unfolded as New York continues to enforce its sanctuary city policies, which limit how the NYPD interacts with federal civil immigration enforcement. Officers are barred from asking about immigration status during routine encounters and can’t hold individuals on ICE detainers except in narrow circumstances involving serious crimes.
Immigration enforcement also is a key element in the evolving relationship between Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump.
Mamdani views immigration raids as “cruel and inhumane” and is committed to “protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker, upholding our sanctuary laws, and deescalation rather than use of unnecessary force,” mayoral transition spokesperson Monica Klein said in a statement. She didn’t specifically address Saturday’s protest.
Mamdani said during his campaign that he intends to “Trump-proof” the city by shielding residents from policies he considers harmful, including stepped-up immigration arrests. Trump has repeatedly criticized sanctuary jurisdictions and has previously deployed National Guard troops to cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.
But at a meeting last week at the White House, the two men adopted a more conciliatory tone.
Trump said he “felt very comfortable” with Mamdani running New York and didn’t expect to cut federal funding to the city. He said they agreed on cost-of-living issues and could “work out” differences over immigration, adding that Mamdani “wants to have a safe New York.”
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