ICE Arrests to Increase in New York City
Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), indicated that residents of New York City should prepare for a rise in ICE arrests. This move comes as the agency zeroes in on prominent sanctuary cities that are allegedly sheltering “criminal illegal aliens.”
“ICE arrests are going to increase because there are so many criminal illegal aliens who have been specially released in New York and are being held in New York, especially because of the city’s lack of cooperation,” Lyons shared during a recent interview.
Commenting on an immigration operation that took place on Canal Street, Lyons emphasized that ICE does not randomly apprehend individuals without reason. Instead, they rely on gathered intelligence.
“You’ll see us make criminal arrests and make New York safe again. But let me tell you, this is definitely an intelligence operation. It’s not random,” he stated. “There was a clear reason for us to show up on Canal Street based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity.”
On Tuesday afternoon, over 50 federal agents were involved in a operation in lower Manhattan, leading to several arrests. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) noted that the focus of the operation was on criminal activities linked to selling counterfeit items.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin mentioned that the operation was spearheaded by ICE, with participation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Border Patrol.
As reported by NBC News, at least five or six individuals were taken into custody, prompting witnesses to pursue the federal agents as they tried to leave the area.
“ICE agents raided Lower Manhattan this afternoon, rounding up street vendors along several blocks of Canal Street from Church Street to Lafayette Street, on the border of Soho, Tribeca, and Chinatown,” a witness reported on Twitter.
As protests escalated and turned aggressive, several agents donned tactical gear in an attempt to disperse the crowd. However, McLaughlin noted that the situation became chaotic, with demonstrators blocking police vehicles and assaulting law enforcement.
Canal Street has long been known for attracting illegal traders, particularly male immigrants from West Africa, who sell counterfeit designer items.
“For the people of New York, they’re going to see ICE and other federal partners carry out their law enforcement missions,” Lyons remarked. “This didn’t just happen overnight; we just started working on Canal Street.”
“In any criminal investigation, we must accumulate information, work with sources, obtain the appropriate evidence and work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” he concluded.
