ICE agents arrested an illegal immigrant selling counterfeit merchandise on Canal Street in Chinatown on Saturday, highlighting the consequences of New York City’s sanctuary policies and soft-on-crime approach.
Abdou Tall, a Senegalese national, was apprehended around noon at Broadway and Canal Street during a targeted ICE operation, officials said.
Tall has a history of arrests for trafficking counterfeit goods and was accused of actively resisting law enforcement during Saturday’s arrest.
“Tall fled from law enforcement on foot for several blocks before he tripped and fell and then continued to actively resist arrest,” an ICE spokesperson said. “Our officers followed their training and successfully arrested him.”
The arrest comes after repeated clashes between federal authorities and the NYPD over the handling of criminal illegal aliens. ICE criticized the city for repeatedly releasing Tall despite prior arrests.
Officials said he was released after an Oct. 7 felony trademark counterfeiting arrest, and then again following another Oct. 11 arrest, per the New York Post.
“Instead of turning him over to ICE custody, they released this criminal illegal alien back into the community where he immediately resumed his criminal activity,” the spokesperson said.
Federal officials slammed New York’s sanctuary policies, bail reform measures, and what they called “soft-on-crime politicians’ refusal to work with ICE.”
The spokesperson added, “New York has become a revolving door for criminal illegal aliens to terrorize the city’s neighborhoods. Secretary Noem has made it clear that ICE will not allow criminal illegal aliens to victimize American citizens.”
Canal Street is infamous for being a hub for counterfeit designer merchandise. Photos from the scene show piles of fake handbags, wallets, and accessories spread out on vendor sheets along the sidewalks.
ICE said the arrest was part of a broader crackdown targeting repeat offenders and illicit trafficking networks.
The NYPD maintained that its personnel did not interfere with the federal operation. A police spokesperson said the NYPD was conducting routine vendor enforcement and had confiscated 25 counterfeit items in the hour before ICE agents arrived.
“The federal agents appeared at the location unrelated to any NYPD activity, and NYPD personnel immediately left the area and did not interact with the federal agents,” the spokesperson said.
ICE’s move underscores the agency’s ongoing frustration with city policies that allow criminal illegal aliens to evade federal custody repeatedly.
Saturday’s arrest also highlights the dangers posed by repeat offenders, who can continue operating in public spaces when local authorities fail to cooperate.
Abdou Tall’s arrest highlights the intersection of immigration policy, criminal enforcement, and public safety in New York City.
Federal authorities say ensuring public safety requires cooperation from local law enforcement, which they argue New York has consistently refused.
The agency’s statement comes one day after President Donald Trump hosted newly elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the White House. While the president appeared conciliatory toward the socialist mayor, ICE continues to confront New York City’s liberal criminal justice policies head-on.
ICE said the agency will continue targeting criminal illegal aliens who exploit the city’s sanctuary laws, emphasizing that repeat offenders like Tall pose an ongoing threat to neighborhoods and residents.
