WATCH | Chaos takes over Manhattan’s Chinatown as anti-ICE protesters clash with cops

Several people were arrested Saturday (Nov 29) following clashes between anti-ICE protestors and cops near a government building in New York City. The incident happened in Lower Manhattan when the federal agents were preparing for an operation against illegal immigrants in Chinatown. Several people gathered near the entrance of a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) parking garage, blocking federal agents from leaving, the police said. The area has witnessed several protests for more than a month.

The standoff between the cops and the protestors started just after 11 am outside a garage on Centre and Hester Streets, where the US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security officers had been arriving. When the agents’ vehicle tried to leave, protesters blocked it and also piled garbage bags. Soon, more people joined the protest, with nearly 200 gathered on the street, shouting “ICE out of New York”, “you are corrupt!” and other slogans at the agents.

NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) told Newsweek that some individuals were also seen throwing debris at the site.

“Following social media posts calling agitators to ICE’s location in New York City, individuals dressed in black clothing with backpacks, face masks, and goggles showed up and began to obstruct federal law enforcement officers, including by blocking the parking garage,” a DHS spokesperson told the outlet.

Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested several protestors. The cops also placed metal barricades between the agents and the angry group, but the tensions continued to escalate. When federal agents left the garage in their vehicles, protesters chased them down Canal Street and hurled planters and trash cans after them. The police confirmed the incident but did not say how many people were incident in the clashes. The New York Post reported, citing the NYPD, that at least 18 anti-ICE agitators were arrested for obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct.

Last month, a large-scale immigration took place close to the government building, where the recent chaos broke out, the New York Times reported.

In recent months, several ICE raids have happened across American cities as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown against immigration. Trump also deployed the National Guard personnel to several cities during the raids. Earlier this week, two National Guard troops were shot near the White House. One of the officers lost her life, while the other remains in critical condition.