An immigration operation led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday, October 21, left at least four people detained in a busy area of Manhattan, New York.
This prompted immediate protests from bystanders, activists and immigrant rights organizations.
Raid on Canal Street
ICE agents raided Chinatown’s Canal Street on Tuesday afternoon, detaining several street vendors in an operation that drew immediate and fierce backlash from bystanders and immigrant advocates.https://t.co/oCNwAFWfft pic.twitter.com/JNe0q09pTg
– amNewYork™ (@amNewYork) October 21, 2025
The raid took place in broad daylight at the Canal Street intersection, an area frequented by street vendors near the Chinatown and SoHo neighborhoods.
According to reports from local media outlet Gothamist, around 40 federal agents participated in the operation.
Many of them wore vests identified with the acronyms “HSI” (Homeland Security Investigations), “Federal Agent” and “Police”, but they were hooded, which caused confusion among the population.
According to images disseminated by witnesses and activists on social networks, the agents acted in a surprise manner, arresting people directly from the sidewalk.
The arrests reportedly included immigrants and possibly protesters attempting to intervene or document what happened.
Immediate community reaction
Organizations such as Immigrant Coalition and Make the Road NY condemned the raid.
In their publications they pointed out that these actions generate unnecessary fear in immigrant communities that already live under constant pressure.
Through Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), activists shared videos of the moment the agents made the arrests as dozens of people confronted them with shouts of “Shame!” and “Leave them alone!”.
The detainees were transported to the federal building located at 26 Federal Plaza, where ICE maintains processing and detention facilities.
This place has been the scene of numerous protests in recent years, especially because of the conditions denounced by family members and lawyers of immigrants in custody.
The controversy behind the operation
Savannah Hernandez shows gangs of African illegals from Senegal operating an open air black market on Broadway & Canal Street in New York City
🔸Maybe NYPD – ICE should do a raid?
The corner looks just like Paris France where migrants have seized control. pic.twitter.com/6mOUNJfyPf– Just Lookin 🪙🦩 (@JustLookingMon). October 20, 2025
The raid came just two days after conservative commentator Savannah Hernandez, affiliated with the Turning Point USA platform, posted a video on X denouncing the alleged presence of “illegal African immigrants” selling merchandise in the Canal Street area.
In that video, he directly urged ICE to act, calling the area an “easy raid.”
This Tuesday, after learning of ICE’s action, Savannah Hernandez took credit for it on her social media, claiming that her video “did what elected officials don’t do” and celebrating that “the streets are now clear.”
Filed under: Canal Street Raid
