Immigration advocates confronted NYPD officers on November 29, 2025, as they formed a blockade outside a garage used by ICE vehicles near Canal Street in New York City. Demonstrators gathered early at the site and later attempted to obstruct vans heading toward the Holland Tunnel. The tense standoff resulted in several arrests.
It marked the second major clash between federal immigration agents and New Yorkers in just over a month. Unlike the previous incidentwhen more than 50 agents in tactical gear swept Canal Streetthis time protesters halted the operation before it began. Hundreds of demonstrators squared off with federal officers, who were later joined by NYPD reinforcements.
The confrontation unfolded amid what advocates describe as a surge in ICE activity across the city, despite a seemingly cordial recent meeting between Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump. The turnout of roughly 200 counter-protesters underscored the obstacles federal authorities face in carrying out the administrations strict immigration agenda in a city deeply shaped by immigrant communities.
Saturdays events also highlighted how New Yorks crowded streets and dense neighborhoods can hinder large coordinated enforcement actions. The city, largely built by immigrant labor, has increasingly responded to sweeping ICE operations with rapid-mobilization protests.
Mamdani, who immigrated to the U.S. at age seven, is set to become New Yorks first immigrant mayor in five decades. His campaign centered on protecting immigrant residents from raids. A spokesperson from his transition team reiterated Sunday that the Mayor-elect views such operations as cruel and inhumane, stressing his commitment to safeguarding immigrant rights, upholding sanctuary laws, and prioritizing de-escalation over force.
The confrontation began when CBP and DHS officers assembled inside a federal parking facility on the edge of Chinatown. Videos from the scene show protesters preventing agents from driving out, while the crowd quickly expanded as more NYPD units arrived. Later, federal officers exited the garage to assist in detaining demonstrators.
In a statement, DHS blamed agitators for blocking the garage and impeding federal officers, claiming NYPD responded to hundreds of violent rioters and made multiple arrests.
Murad Awawdeh, head of the New York Immigration Coalition and a member of Mamdanis transition team, said the protests signaled New Yorkers determination to resist aggressive federal enforcement. He emphasized that communities would continue to stand together against what he described as a lawless and violent agency.
The attempted raid followed weeks of heightened ICE presence in neighborhoods like Corona, Washington Heights, and Sunset Park. Local activists have responded by establishing community alert systemssuch as whistle distributionto warn neighbors of ICE activity. Similar strategies have been used in cities like Chicago, where residents closely monitor federal agents.
The latest clash is likely to intensify tensions between the incoming mayor and the Trump Administration. Earlier in November, ICEs former acting director Tom Homan warned that agents planned to flood the zone in New York. Mamdani has stated that under his leadership, the NYPD will focus on public safety rather than assisting ICE in large-scale deportation efforts.
Following a notably friendly Oval Office meeting days later, Mamdani said he and Trump discussed immigration enforcement limits under New York law. While he emphasized concerns about how enforcement impacts families across the boroughs, Trump said their conversation focused primarily on crime and expressed confidence that both leaders shared common ground on that issue.
