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Clashes and Arrests Erupt Outside Manhattan ICE Building Amid Protest Against Detainee Transfers
By Khadija | FNF News | May 29, 2025
NEW YORK CITY — Tensions escalated outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon as demonstrators clashed with federal agents and NYPD officers. The protest aimed to block the transport of immigration detainees from the facility, leading to multiple arrests and a significant law enforcement response.
Protesters formed a human blockade around the exit lanes of the ICE building, preventing buses and vans from leaving the complex. The vehicles were reportedly carrying undocumented immigrants scheduled for transfer to detention centers in New Jersey and upstate New York. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Let them go! Let them stay!” and held signs reading “No Deportations on Stolen Land” and “Abolish ICE.”
The protest was organized by a coalition of immigrant rights groups, including Make the Road New York, Abolish ICE NYC, and Jews for Racial & Economic Justice. They criticized the Biden administration for continuing harsh immigration enforcement tactics despite campaign promises to pursue more humane policies.
Heavy Police Presence and Federal Response
Shortly after 3:15 p.m., Homeland Security agents and NYPD Strategic Response Group (SRG) officers moved in to disperse the crowd. Officers reportedly issued a dispersal order, but many demonstrators refused to move, leading to physical confrontations.
“Police are now physically dragging people off the street. There’s screaming, chaos. One protester just got slammed into a barricade,” said FNF News reporter Dana Lynch, who was on the scene.
In total, at least 24 people were arrested, according to a preliminary NYPD statement. Charges range from disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration to resisting arrest. Several individuals were seen bleeding or being treated by volunteer medics after the clashes.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that federal agents were involved in “operational support” and defended their response.
“Today’s protest interfered with lawful federal operations and jeopardized the safety of personnel and detainees,” DHS spokesperson Jenna Altman said in a written statement. “The United States government will not tolerate efforts to obstruct federal law enforcement.”
Protesters’ Perspective
Protesters said they were compelled to act after learning that ICE was preparing to transport dozens of detainees following a surge in immigration raids across the tri-state area in recent weeks. Organizers claim many of those being detained were longtime New York residents with no serious criminal records.
“This is a humanitarian emergency,” said Maria Tapia, an organizer with Make the Road NY. “People are being ripped from their homes, workplaces, and communities. We will not allow ICE to continue this war on immigrants without resistance.”
One protester, who gave their name only as Luis, said his uncle was detained in a Bronx workplace raid last week and was possibly among those in the vans being blocked.
“I don’t care if I get arrested,” he said. “This government can’t keep separating families and expect us to do nothing.”
Broader Context
The protest comes amid a nationwide push by ICE to enforce “expedited removal” policies for individuals who entered the U.S. illegally over the past two years. This approach allows for swift deportation of individuals unable to prove they have been in the U.S. for over two years, bypassing lengthier legal proceedings. (THE CITY – NYC News, theguardian.com)
Earlier this week, several migrants and a Queens pastor were arrested by federal agents at the federal immigration courthouse at 26 Federal Plaza. According to reports, around two dozen masked, plainclothes ICE officers targeted and detained at least six migrants and the pastor, who attempted to intervene. (New York Post)
The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that ICE is now enforcing expedited removals as required by law. Many of those detained had their cases dismissed, which allows officials to place them in an expedited removal process. (Reuters)
Community Response
As night fell, a smaller group of protesters remained nearby, lighting candles and holding a vigil for detainees still inside the ICE building. A banner reading “They tried to bury us — they didn’t know we were seeds” hung from a traffic light.
Local residents expressed mixed reactions.
“I support their cause, but blocking federal vehicles? That’s dangerous,” said Marcus DeWitt, a construction worker on break across the street. “But I get it — people are scared, and they feel like they have no other way to be heard.”
Others, like community organizer Ayesha Rahman, praised the action.
“This was about putting bodies on the line to stop injustice. Today was messy, but history is messy,” she told FNF News. “Our communities are done being quiet.”
Tags:
- ICE Protests NYC
- Immigration Rights
- Federal Plaza Clashes
- NYPD Arrests
- Deportation Resistance