More than 60 anti-ICE protesters were arrested Tuesday night after forcing their way into the lobby of a Manhattan hotel and refusing repeated police orders to leave, according to law enforcement sources and video footage from the scene, as reported[1] by The New York Post.
The incident unfolded around 6 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City.
Authorities said the protesters targeted the hotel after mistakenly believing federal immigration agents were staying there. Law enforcement sources later confirmed that no federal agents were housed at the location Tuesday night.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. 20.12.25 Protest Anti ICE and anti Trump, community united
Video shared on social media showed dozens of demonstrators flooding the hotel lobby, chanting slogans, blowing whistles, and waving protest signs.
Additional footage captured hundreds more protesters gathered outside the building, shouting and creating noise with whistles and megaphones.
Police said officers issued multiple lawful orders instructing the demonstrators to disperse and leave the lobby. When those orders were ignored, officers began making arrests.
Law enforcement sources confirmed that more than 60 individuals were taken into custody on trespassing charges.
The protest appeared to be aimed at pressuring the Hilton hotel chain over claims that it houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Sources said the company became a target following a recent decision to drop a Minneapolis-area franchise after that location banned immigration agents ahead of a federal enforcement deployment.
The New York demonstration also followed a series of recent, high-profile incidents involving ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minneapolis.
On Saturday morning, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse identified by authorities as an armed anti-ICE protester, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement action.
Authorities said Pretti was armed with a loaded handgun and two fully loaded magazines at the time of the confrontation. He was shot after being pinned to the ground and disarmed during the encounter.
That incident came just days after another fatal confrontation involving an ICE agent in Minnesota.
On January 7, Renee Good, identified as an anti-ICE protester and a mother of three, was shot and killed after allegedly accelerating her SUV toward an ICE agent during a heated confrontation, according to law enforcement statements.
New York City officials have not reported any injuries to officers or hotel staff as a result of Tuesday night’s protest. Police presence remained heavy in the area as officers worked to clear the scene and restore order inside the hotel.
Hilton has not issued a public statement regarding the protest or the arrests.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that the hotel was not being used to house federal agents at the time of the demonstration and said the protest was based on false information circulating among activist networks.
Authorities said all individuals taken into custody were charged with trespassing and were expected to be processed according to standard procedures. No additional charges were immediately announced.
The arrests mark one of the largest anti-ICE protest actions in New York City this year and come amid escalating tensions nationwide surrounding immigration enforcement operations and recent deadly confrontations involving federal agents.
