A chaotic immigration raid in New York City on Tuesday reflected the US government’s widening deportation campaign, drawing outrage from local officials and residents.
Federal authorities said they arrested nine men who were in the country illegally, mostly from West Africa, around Canal Street — an area in Manhattan popular among tourists looking for fake luxury goods sold illegally on the sidewalks. As the White House pursues immigration crackdowns in Democrat-run cities, viral videos made by some pro-Trump influencers recently drew attention to the Canal Street vendors, and local businesses have called for more police presence there.
The raid could come up during the city’s final mayoral debate on Wednesday; frontrunner Zohran Mamdani condemned the operation as “authoritarian theatrics.”