4 US citizens arrested during ICE crackdown on NYC's Canal Street, congressman says
Nine undocumented immigrants were also arrested at Canal Street, DHS said.
Four U.S. citizens were arrested and held for "nearly 24 hours" without any federal charges following a joint Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday, according to Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman, who called the actions "lawless terror."
"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 four Americans were held at 26 Federal Plaza for nearly 24 hours, but were released approximately 30 minutes after the announcement of Goldman's press conference, he said.
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.
"This is not normal in democracies," 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.
The immigration operation Tuesday took place on Canal Street, a prominent hub for shopping in Lower Manhattan, with ICE and federal partners from multiple agencies conducting a "targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation" that was "focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods," Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Tuesday.
Vendors were seen packing up their tables and attempting to flee the area, which is known for merchants selling designer knockoffs, New York ABC station WABC reported.
On Wednesday morning, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News that New York City will see an "increase in ICE arrests" because there are "so many criminal illegal" immigrants.
"You will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again. It's definitely intelligence driven, it's not random. We aren't pulling people off the street. There was a specific reason based on criminal intelligence and criminal activity that we showed up on Canal Street," Lyons said.
"The nine arrested, their rap sheets are long," Lyons told Fox News. "Forgery, possession of drugs, drug trafficking, robbery, assault. These are criminal aliens that were being targeted. We do these based on criminal intelligence and that's what we had."
The targeted enforcement is in contrast to U.S. Border Patrol, which has been deployed in Chicago and Los Angeles and does conduct random enforcement actions.
Lyons said store owners had been complaining about the retail for some time.
"If you look at the video, everything was fine with the officers talking to those individuals and making arrests until violent protesters showed up," Lyons said.
Following the raid, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a portal on Wednesday for members of the public to submit photos and videos of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
In a statement on Wednesday, James vowed to review the materials to determine if any laws were violated, including "unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation."
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"Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation," James said. "If you witnessed and documented ICE activity yesterday, I urge you to share that footage with my office. We are committed to reviewing these reports and assessing any violations of law. No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation."
Awawdeh said there will be a rally at Foley Square on Wednesday night "condemning the actions that occurred yesterday."
Earlier on Tuesday, the NYPD said on X it had "no involvement in the federal operation that took place on Canal Street."
A spokesperson for City Hall said in a statement it also had "no involvement in this matter."
"Mayor [Eric] Adams has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue the American Dream should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals," the statement said.
If the circumstances escalate and an individual assaults or interferes with a legal law enforcement action, Adams has instructed the NYPD to intervene, a source familiar with the situation told ABC News.
Crime rates are at record lows in New York City, according to the latest police data.
Over the first nine months of 2025, the NYPD reported citywide shooting incidents were down more than 20% (553 vs. 693) year-to-date, their lowest level ever.
Murders are also down citywide by more than 17.7% year-to-date and burglaries dropped 3.8% (9,410 vs. 9,783) for the year, the second-lowest level in recorded history.
ABC News' Peter Charalambous, Aaron Katersky and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
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