The New York Attorney decides to publicly report the work of Ice after garnishing the sellers
By Ted Hesson
New York (Reuters) – New York State’s Attorney General on Wednesday urged the public to send photos, videos and other documents of federal immigration operations to his office for review by Manhattan street vendors.
Attorney General Letitia James said her office will review the documents and other information from the activities shared in the “Federal Action Report form,” saying “Every New Yorker has the right to live without fear or intimidation.”
President Donald Trump, a Republican, launched an aggressive crackdown on immigration in major US cities, including Los Angeles, DC The San Francisco, that the Trump administration is sending more than 100 agents to the city to do the job.
Protesters in cities have used phones to record snowball operations, which critics say have used platforms to discriminate and drive in large numbers of migrants without criminal records. Attack on the Streets of New York City, a prominent shopping area known for its bargain prices and imitation goods, has caused a backlash from nearby residents.
When asked to comment on the attempted oversight of James, Department of Homeland Security’s Tricia Mclaughlin said it “seems like obstruction of justice.”
The new effort to record potential abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents is part of a broader push by Democrats. Representative Robert Garcia, a Democrat who represents the Los Angeles district, said Monday that he and other Democrats will open an online site to track the agency’s performance and urge the public to document Ice’s work.
The Trump administration in March axed DHS offices charged with monitoring labor rights abuses as part of its downsizing efforts.
The effort to guard the snow by James, a long-time enemy of Trump, could also run into political differences with the White House. Jacobs, who brought a fraud case against Trump in 2022, was indicted earlier this month for lying about the loan scheme, as the Trump administration threatened to use his government powers against his political enemies.
DHS said Tuesday’s operation targeting the Canal Road resulted in nine arrests on immigration charges from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and Guinea, including some former detainees. ICE officers and other federal agents had to fight “violent protesters who attacked and obstructed law enforcement by blocking traffic,” DHS said.
Canal Street’s outburst came after at least two prominent pro-Trump influencers posted videos in recent weeks that focused on African migrants selling goods and wares. One of the influencers, Savah Hernandez, said in an October 19 post by X that African migrants without legal status were working on the black market there and soliciting sellers.
“I don’t know if the ice officials see my post,” Hernandez said in an email. “However, the White House has been very responsive to international journalists who have used X to share their stories.”
The normally busy street was indifferent to street vendors on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and David Dee Delgado in New York; Editing by Craig Timberg and Diane Craft)
