Chaos erupted in Brooklyn on Tuesday night when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived in the area and struggled with residents who were trying to prevent the arrest of a man.
The incident began around 6 p.m. on February 24, near the corner of Bushwick Avenue and Suydam Street, in the Bushwick neighborhood. It is one of the most dramatic raids carried out by ICE on a New York street since federal agents carried out operations in Chinatown late last year.
According to a source with direct knowledge of what happened, several ICE agents and a federal Enforcement and Removal Officer (ERO) detained a man in front of an apartment building, leaving behind his wife and two children.
“The person lived in the building and, unfortunately, left behind a wife and two children. One, I believe, was two or three years old, and the other was three months old,” said Neil Constantine, who came to document the situation. “She was heartbroken.”
ICE raid in Brooklyn: New Yorkers pepper-sprayed, cuffed after trying to prevent man’s detention
When neighbors found out what was happening, they alerted themselves through a group chat and tried to get together to support the man ICE was looking to arrest. A witness indicated that about 15 people gathered in front of the building, but it was too late.
The group began blowing whistles when they spotted an unmarked vehicle with tinted windows parked a block away, apparently to warn of the presence of ICE. As they approached, the vehicle activated its sirens and lights.
“That’s when people tried to get in front of the car and also started moving objects from the street,” Constantine said. “The vehicle continued to move forward slowly, something that has become common with ICE agents, even when there are three or four people in front of the car pushing in the opposite direction.”
The crowd attempted to prevent the vehicle from escaping by placing themselves in its path and dragging obstacles, such as construction barriers. A video shows how the car continued to move forward while several people climbed on the hood. Finally, the driver found a gap in the human blockade, accelerated and sped away.
According to a spokesperson for NYC ICE Watch, a group that documents immigration operations, activists caught up with the ICE vehicles near Washington and Willoughby Avenues, in Clinton Hill, around 7:30 p.m., where they again attempted to block their passage.
During the altercation, at least one officer used pepper spray and injured a civilian. Even so, several people remained at the scene.
Police sources reported that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) received a 911 call about a group blocking traffic and went to investigate. Officers found between 15 and 20 people blocking the path of the ICE vehicles and traffic behind them. According to police, ICE was not conducting an active operation at the time. Officers ordered the road to be cleared and arrested one person for refusing to comply, issuing a criminal citation.
ICE raid in Brooklyn: New Yorkers pepper-sprayed, cuffed after trying to prevent man’s detention
“This appears to be a violation of the sanctuary city policy and is something the mayor needs to explain,” a spokesperson for NYC ICE Watch told our sister publication, amNewYork. “This shows that federal agents continue to take people in New York City.”
amNewYork has requested comment from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office and is awaiting a response. Mamdani has been an outspoken critic of ICE activities and an advocate of sanctuary city policies that prohibit municipal cooperation with federal immigration agencies.
Police sources denied any collaboration between the NYPD and ICE.
“There was no collaboration between the NYPD and ICE,” said a police spokesperson.
