Federal immigration agents descended on New York City’s Canal Street Tuesday in a dramatic crackdown targeting counterfeit goods — and left with nine illegal aliens in handcuffs, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday.
DHS said the operation, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), erupted into chaos when violent rioters tried to block federal vehicles and attack law enforcement officers.
Four rioters were arrested for assaulting officers, and another was charged with obstruction.
Officials said the nine arrested men — who were selling counterfeit goods — were not small-time street hustlers.
Their rap sheets read like a crime blotter: robbery, burglary, assault on law enforcement, domestic violence, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, forgery, and more.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the raid was “targeted and intelligence-driven,” focused on criminal activity linked to Canal Street’s notorious counterfeit trade.
“The majority of those arrested were released into the country by the Biden administration,” McLaughlin said.
“Under President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”
The list of those detained, all from Africa, underscores how ICE said federal leniency under President Biden had fueled the problem.
Among them were:
- Mamadou Ndoye of Mali, ordered deported in 2008, had arrests for assault, narcotics sales, and resisting arrest.
- Muhammad Ndiaye, a Senegalese national, overstayed his visa from 1995 and racked up arrests for robbery, domestic violence, and forgery.
- Idy Sarr, also from Senegal, was ordered removed in 2010 but stayed in the country, with priors for counterfeiting and drug dealing.
Several of those detained had entered illegally under Biden’s watch.
Sergigne Diop, Modou Mboup, and Bokar Soko all crossed the southern border within the past two years as part of migrant caravans and were released into the U.S. by border authorities. Mboup had even assaulted Mexican police before entering the country.
Others, including Alioune Sy, Amadou Diallo, and Aboubakar Diakite, had long overstayed visas or entered unlawfully and were later tied to repeated counterfeiting and fraud.
ICE officials framed the sweep as part of a broader effort under Trump and Noem to restore “law and order” in sanctuary cities where local policies have hindered immigration enforcement.
Canal Street has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over illegal immigration and crime.
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