The New York Police Department (NYPD) detained more than 80 people during agitations in Lower Manhattan's Foley Square on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday, as federal immigration enforcement raids spread. The protesters were also angered by President Donald Trump's move to mobilise the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles, US media reports said.
Police stated that they took 86 people into custody, including 52 who were released with criminal court summonses for minor offences, and 34 who were charged with assault, resisting arrest, and other crimes.
In New York, protesters shouted and waved signs that read “ICE out of NYC” as they rallied near an ICE facility and federal courthouses. ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tasked with arresting and deporting individuals who violate US immigration laws.
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According to the NYPD, no fewer than 2,500 people participated in the protests. The agitation turned ugly when some protesters jumped over metal barricades and clashed with officers before being overpowered. Video footage showed demonstrators throwing items at law enforcement vehicles before being forced to the ground. Law enforcement vehicles rammed through makeshift roadblocks set up by masked protesters before chasing them down one by one. The police going on the offensive without much warning forced civilians to scatter, as videos shared online showed. “NYPD is NOT the LAPD. They don’t mess around,” an X user who shared footage of the police action against the protesters said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that most of the demonstrators were peaceful, and only a few caused the disorder that required police intervention.
Immigration protests in the US
While many demonstrations against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have been peaceful — with marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs — others have led to clashes with police, hundreds of arrests, and the use of chemical irritants to disperse crowds. In Texas, Republican Governor Greg Abbott posted on social media that an unspecified number of National Guard troops would be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace and order.
The protests are set to expand on Saturday, when several activist groups have planned more than 1,800 anti-Trump demonstrations across the country. On that day, tanks and other armoured vehicles will rumble down the streets of Washington, D.C., in a military parade marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday.