Federal agents detain vendors on Canal Street as protesters clash

Federal immigration agents carried out a midday enforcement operation on Canal Street in Manhattan on Tuesday, detaining multiple street vendors and clashing with protesters who gathered to block the operation. The action unfolded around 4 p.m. on the stretch of Canal Street between Lafayette and Centre streets, a commercial corridor known for vendors selling knockoff handbags, electronics and other goods.

Officials said Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out the sweep with the support of Border Patrol and officers from other federal agencies. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson described the operation as targeting sellers of counterfeit merchandise and said agents faced violent obstruction from some members of the crowd, including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement. The spokesperson said at least one person was arrested for assaulting an officer but did not provide a total number of vendor detentions. Representatives for ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Eyewitnesses and reporters at the scene described a chaotic confrontation as agents moved through the crowded sidewalk stalls. Several vendors attempted to flee, with...