The chaotic anti-ICE riots aren’t just confined to California; anti-ICE agitators have taken their lawlessness to the East Coast. On Saturday, New York City joined Los Angeles in becoming a flashpoint for radical protests, as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement after a mob of nearly 150 people tried to block federal officials from conducting an immigration raid in Manhattan.
More than 20 anti-ICE protestors were arrested after interfering with immigration authorities trying to carry out lawful operations. The activists were actively obstructing the removal of criminal illegal immigrants. At one point, the mob attempted to block a white van from exiting the area. It successfully forced it back into the building’s parking garage after agitators threw themselves at the vehicle. The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrived and started pushing protesters back onto the other side of the street. Authorities warned protestors to disperse or get arrested.
Masked protesters screamed profanities at officers as they hurled metal barricades, orange traffic cones, and even dragged a drawerless dresser from a dumpster to toss into the street, turning a so-called demonstration into a full-blown street riot.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) praised the New York City police department's quick response to the riots.
“Outside a federal law enforcement building in New York City, more than 150 rioters erupted to interfere with ICE’s immigration enforcement operations,” the DHS said in a statement. “Thankfully, unlike in Los Angeles, the local police department quickly responded to the riots. So far, NYPD has made five arrests.”
The arrests come as Los Angeles saw massive mobs of anti-ICE agitators clash with authorities on Saturday. The protestors become irate and violent, throwing rocks and other objects at law enforcement. At one point, protestors lit fires in the middle of streets, mimicking a scene from the 2020 violent George Floyd riots. President Donald Trump took swift action and called in 2,000 National Guard troops. At the same time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned he would order Marines to report to LA if the violence continues to escalate.