Federal immigration authorities saw a planned enforcement operation in New York City derailed on Saturday, 29 November 2025, after approximately 200 activists mounted a protest that blocked their vehicles and escalated into clashes with police.
Confrontation in Chinatown
The incident, which represents the latest in a series of public stand-offs against Donald Trump's aggressive immigration agenda since his second term began in January, unfolded on the fringes of Manhattan's Chinatown. According to reports, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents had assembled with colleagues from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a raid.
Protesters converged on a parking garage in lower Manhattan used by the federal vehicles. Using makeshift barricades including rubbish bags and metal barriers, they successfully prevented the government vans from exiting the facility. The confrontation began in the late morning and grew throughout the day.
Escalation and Arrests
By early afternoon, the crowd had swelled to around 200 people, who chanted and shouted at the agents. The situation turned violent when some vehicles managed to emerge from the garage and were pursued along Canal Street. The New York Times reported that some protesters hurled planters and rubbish bins at the vans. In a concerning development, a masked occupant inside one of the vehicles sprayed several individuals with what appeared to be a chemical irritant.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) was called to assist with crowd control. Several protesters were arrested following scuffles with officers. Time magazine reported that the government agents ultimately abandoned their raid, which would have been their second large-scale operation in the area in just six weeks.
Political Fallout and Condemnation
The episode triggered immediate political backlash, particularly regarding the involvement of the NYPD and its Strategic Response Group (SRG). Local politicians pointed out that city law bars the NYPD from assisting federal authorities with immigration arrests. "It's really despicable," Democratic city commissioner Christopher Marte told the New York Times. "It seems like the NYPD, specifically the SRG, is working to clear the way for ICE agents."
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who won office in November and takes over on 1 January, condemned the federal action. His transition team spokesperson, Monica Klein, stated to Time that the raid was "cruel and inhumane." She reaffirmed Mamdani's commitment to New York's sanctuary city laws and de-escalation.
In a contrasting statement to Time, DHS blamed the violence on the protesters, describing them as "hundreds of violent rioters" who had responded to social media calls and obstructed law enforcement. The department stated arrests were made by the NYPD.
According to the Times, incoming NYPD Commissioner Jennifer Tisch, whom Mamdani has decided to retain, held a phone call on Saturday with DHS special agent Ricky Patel. A source indicated Tisch called the government's action "unacceptable" and said it endangered New Yorkers, federal agents, and police officers alike.
This event mirrors recent resistance in other US cities like Charlotte and Chicago, where citizens have opposed the Trump administration's intensified detention and deportation programmes.
