"Droves of angry New Yorkers surrounded a group of federal agents Thursday afternoon after they began questioning and detaining street vendors on the busy commercial strip, known for its sidewalk bazaars and shops selling knock-off designer goods. Law enforcement raids aimed at combating counterfeiting are relatively frequent on Canal Street, but the sight of dozens of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents making arrests drew instant protests."
"Nine people were arrested in the initial immigration sweep, according to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. Four more people were arrested for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement officers, she said. A fifth was arrested on an accusation that they had obstructed law enforcement by blocking a driveway, McLaughlin said. McLaughlin called the initial sweep "a targeted, intelligence-driven" operation "focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods.""
Federal agents from ICE, Border Patrol and other offices conducted an enforcement operation on Manhattan's Canal Street targeting criminal activity related to counterfeit goods. The presence of dozens of masked agents questioning and detaining street vendors prompted activists and bystanders to converge and protest, at times blocking an agents' vehicle. Agents attempted to clear the area and in some cases shoved protesters and threatened them with stun guns or pepper spray before detaining them. Authorities reported nine arrests in the initial sweep, four additional arrests for alleged assaults on officers, and one arrest for obstruction. DHS described the sweep as targeted and intelligence-driven.
Read at SFGATE
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]