A protest against U.S. immigration enforcement in Lower Manhattan escalated Saturday as demonstrators clashed with police, leading to more than 20 arrests. What began as a peaceful rally outside Federal Plaza turned chaotic as tensions with the NYPD mounted and officers began detaining individuals, many in zip-tie handcuffs, according to police sources.
Protesters had gathered to voice opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and what they view as the criminalization of immigrant communities under the Trump administration. Organizers say they were particularly incensed by a recent arrest that occurred inside a Manhattan federal courthouse on Friday, where ICE agents detained a man after his immigration case was dismissed.
That man, Joaquin Rosario Espinal, is accused by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of being in the country illegally from the Dominican Republic. DHS alleges Espinal resisted arrest and assaulted an officer during the encounter.
John Mark Rozendaal, who is volunteering to support Espinal’s legal case, criticized the arrest. “Their due process rights are being trampled in this building,” he said, referring to the courthouse. “We are here to oppose this.”
Protesters also claimed the presence of unidentified law enforcement agents near Federal Plaza on Saturday heightened their concerns, though it remains unclear which agency the officers belonged to.
The unrest in New York came on the heels of a similar confrontation in Paramount, California, where protesters and federal agents clashed after an ICE raid. Immigrant rights advocates say the targeting of courthouses and public spaces for arrests is instilling fear in communities and eroding trust in legal institutions.
“This whole criminalization thing leads us down a dark path,” said one protester who identified herself only as Lavender. “I’m an American, and I won’t stand by while my neighbors are taken away.”
In response to the protests and arrests, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement defending its agents and warning against violence.
“Our officers are doing their jobs by removing public safety threats and enforcing our nation’s immigration laws,” the statement read. “Assaulting, resisting, impeding, or harassing ICE officers is against the law. Unfortunately, our ICE officers are facing a 413% increase in assaults while carrying out arrests. The violence against ICE must end.”
As demonstrations continue nationwide, activists say they will keep pushing back against what they see as unjust enforcement tactics and growing federal overreach.