After ICE protest arrests, NYC police brace for another day of demonstrations, sources say
Less than one day after protests erupted into chaos outside the federal immigration court in New York City, police sources say the NYPD is bracing for another protest Thursday in Lower Manhattan.
More than 20 people were arrested for protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' tactics after several people were detained Wednesday inside 26 Federal Plaza.
While the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed details of what happened inside the federal building, or if it was part of an operation ongoing, witnesses said it appeared to involve ICE agents waiting outside elevators with their faces covered.
"I've never seen anything like this. I've been working here for a couple years and I've never seen, either this many agents let alone, but agents dressed in plain clothes, wearing masks, pulling people out of line. It's totally out of the ordinary," a man who works at the building said.
DHS said in a statement to CBS News New York, "For reasons of operational security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not discuss law enforcement tactics or confirm current, ongoing or future operations."
NYPD has not said if any protesters were criminally charged.
"People are making really hard choices"
Like the detainment of a 20-year-old Bronx public school student last week, the latest ICE operations are believed to be in coordination with immigration hearings as, in some instances, cases are quickly dismissed before "expedited removals" by agents.
"People are making really hard choices about what and how they move moving forward," Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of Immigration Coalition, said. "It's a catch-22. You don't show up for your court hearing, then you also then could be ordered removed from the country and deported."
Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voiced concerns after Wednesday night's protests led to 22 arrests.
"ICE should be going after criminals, not people who are showing up in court and trying to play by the rules," Schumer said.
"We know that these arrests are part of a pattern that we've been seeing across this city, including in the arrest of a New York City public school student," Mamdani said.
In an interview Thursday with CBS News, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is willing to work with ICE agents on criminal investigations, but those who are following the legal process are "just sitting ducks" at courthouses and other locations. She said the latest actions are wrong and should be called out.
Mayor Eric Adams has yet to issue a statement on Wednesday's detainments. When questioned earlier in the week about ICE detainments, he said to ask federal authorities instead.
"Something happens during those hearings, we're not responsible for them, we're not in charge of them. And so I think that that's a question that should be referred to federal authorities," said the mayor, a Democrat who is running for reelection as an independent.
ICE did not respond to CBS News New York's questions Wednesday about how many people were detained and why.
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