“ICE is not allowed to arrest American citizens,” Goldman, accompanied by Murah Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The families of the arrested U.S. citizens had filed missing persons reports with the New York City Police Department before they were released, Awawdeh said.
The four Americans were released without any charges, Goldman said, while nine undocumented immigrants detained by ICE have been moved to Delaney Hall in New York, Awawdeh said.
There was a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity that we showed up on Canal Street,” Lyons said.
Crime rates are at record lows in New York City, according to the latest police data.
Four U’s. S. After a joint Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday, Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman described the actions as “lawless terror” and said that citizens were arrested and detained for “nearly 24 hours” without facing any federal charges. “.
Goldman, joined by Murah Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, stated at a press conference on Wednesday that “ICE is not allowed to arrest American citizens.”.
“The four Americans were detained at 26 Federal Plaza for almost twenty-four hours, but they were released about half an hour after Goldman’s press conference was announced,” he said.
The relatives of the U.S. S. Prior to their release, the New York City Police Department received missing persons reports from the public, according to Awawdeh.
“This is not normal in democracies,” Awawdeh stated.
Goldman reported that the four Americans were freed without facing any charges, while Awawdeh reported that nine undocumented immigrants who were detained by ICE had been transferred to Delaney Hall in New York.
ICE, along with federal partners from various agencies, conducted a “targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation” on Tuesday on Canal Street, a well-known shopping destination in Lower Manhattan. The operation was “focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods,” Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to WABC, an ABC station in New York, vendors were observed packing up their tables and trying to leave the area, which is known for retailers selling designer duplicates.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News on Wednesday morning that there will be a “increase in ICE arrests” in New York City due to the “so many criminal illegal” immigrants.
“You will witness us making those criminal arrests in order to restore safety to New York. It isn’t random; it is unquestionably intelligence-driven. No one is being pulled off the street by us. Lyons stated, “We arrived on Canal Street for a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity.
Lyons told Fox News, “The nine arrested, their rap sheets are long.”. “Robbery, assault, drug trafficking, possession of drugs, and forgery.”. It was criminal aliens who were the target. We base our actions on criminal intelligence, which is what we had. “..”.
Targeted enforcement is different from U.S. S. . The Border Patrol, which has stations in Chicago and Los Angeles, carries out sporadic law enforcement operations.
Store owners had long been grumbling about the retail, according to Lyons.
Lyons stated, “If you watch the video, prior to the arrival of violent protesters, everything was fine with the officers talking to those individuals and making arrests.”.
On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James opened a portal for the public to upload images and videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the wake of the raid.
James promised to examine the documents in a statement on Wednesday to see if any laws—such as “unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation”—were broken. “..”.
According to James, “Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation.”. “I strongly advise you to send my office the video if you saw and recorded any ICE activity yesterday. We are dedicated to looking over these reports and determining whether there have been any legal infractions. Nobody ought to be the target of illegal interrogation, incarceration, or threats. “,”.
According to Awawdeh, a rally “condemning the actions that occurred yesterday” will take place at Foley sq\. on Wednesday evening. “,”.
The New York Police Department claimed on X earlier Tuesday that it was “not involved in the federal operation that took place on Canal Street.”. “,”.
Additionally, City Hall had “no involvement in this matter,” according to a statement from a city hall spokesperson. “.
According to the statement, “Mayor [Eric] Adams has been clear that resources should be focused on violent criminals and that law enforcement should not target undocumented New Yorkers who are attempting to pursue the American Dream.”.
Adams has directed the NYPD to step in if the situation worsens and someone assaults or obstructs a legitimate law enforcement operation, a person with knowledge of the matter told ABC News.
According to the most recent police data, crime rates in New York City are at all-time lows.
The NYPD reported a more than 20 percent decrease in citywide shooting incidents during the first nine months of 2025 (553 vs. 693) so far this year, which is their lowest level ever.
The citywide murder rate has decreased by over 17 percent so far this year, and the burglary rate has decreased by 3 percent (9,410 vs. 9,783) for the year, the second-lowest amount ever noted.
Meredith Deliso, Aaron Katersky, and Peter Charalambous of ABC News contributed to this story.
