In a dramatic confrontation on Saturday, 29 November 2025, a planned immigration raid by federal authorities in New York City was successfully obstructed by approximately 200 activists. The protest, which resulted in several arrests and reports of violence, marks the latest clash between citizens and agents enforcing the aggressive immigration agenda of Donald Trump's second presidency.
Confrontation in Chinatown
The incident unfolded on the edge of Manhattan's Chinatown, where agents from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had assembled. According to reports, the confrontation began in a parking garage in lower Manhattan in the late morning.
Protesters moved to block the exit of government vehicles using makeshift barricades constructed from garbage bags and metal barriers. By early afternoon, the crowd had swelled, with participants chanting and shouting at the federal agents. The situation escalated when some vehicles attempted to leave the garage and were pursued along Canal Street.
The New York Times reported that some demonstrators were "hurling planters and trash cans after them". In a concerning development, a masked occupant inside one of the vehicles sprayed several people with what appeared to be a chemical irritant.
Political Fallout and Official Condemnation
The raid was ultimately abandoned, which would have been the second large-scale federal immigration operation in lower Manhattan in just six weeks. The action drew immediate and sharp criticism from local political figures.
Monica Klein, a spokesperson for mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who takes office on 1 January, issued a strong statement to Time magazine. She condemned the federal action as "cruel and inhumane" and reaffirmed the incoming administration's commitment to New York's sanctuary city laws.
"New York City’s more than three million immigrants are central to our city’s strength, vitality, and success," Klein stated, adding that Mamdani remains "steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker."
NYPD Involvement Sparks Legal Questions
The role of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and its Strategic Response Group (SRG) in assisting with crowd control during the protest has become a point of significant controversy. Local politicians noted that city law bars the NYPD from assisting the federal government in immigration arrests.
Democratic city commissioner Christopher Marte told the New York Times, "It’s really despicable. It seems like the NYPD, specifically the SRG, is working to clear the way for ICE agents to go out in our city to do arrests and put people in the process of deportation."
Despite this, NYPD Commissioner Jennifer Tisch, who will be retained by Mamdani, reportedly had a phone conversation with DHS special agent Ricky Patel on Saturday. A source indicated Tisch called the government's action "unacceptable" and said it endangered New Yorkers, federal agents, and police officers alike.
In a statement to Time, DHS blamed the violence on the protesters, alleging that individuals dressed in black with masks and goggles responded to social media calls and obstructed law enforcement. The department confirmed that the NYPD made multiple arrests after responding to "hundreds of violent rioters".
This event in New York follows a pattern of similar resistant actions in other US cities, including Charlotte and Chicago, as the Trump administration's detention and deportation programmes face growing public opposition.
