More than 20 arrested after anti-ICE protests erupt in Lower Manhattan

LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- An anti-ICE protest in Lower Manhattan quickly devolved into protesters against the NYPD. One by one, they were led away by police in zip-tie handcuffs.

As the scuffle spilled into the streets, more than 20 protesters were taken into custody, according to a police source.

Dozens of protesters were out for hours at Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan, voicing their concerns about ICE detainments. Some of the protesters said they will not stand by as their neighbors are scooped up as part of the Trump Administration's aggressive immigration enforcement. The anger towards law enforcement was palpable.

Some protesters say they were out there partly due to the presence of what appeared to be federal immigration authorities near Federal Plaza on Saturday. However, there is no confirmation on exactly what agency the law enforcement officers were part of at this point.

The protest comes after Friday's arrest inside a Manhattan Federal courthouse. ICE agents took down a man after his immigration proceedings were dismissed.

The Department of Homeland Security says Joaquin Rosario Espinal was in the United States illegally from the Dominican Republic. DHS says he resisted arrest and claims he punched an officer.

John Mark Rozendaal says he is volunteering to help Espinal with his immigration case.

"Their due process rights are being trampled in this building and they are being held here so we are here to oppose this," said Rozendaal.

Also on Saturday, protesters and federal agents clashed on streets in Paramount in Southern California after a raid was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Federal agents have reportedly been rounding up migrants around courthouses in lower Manhattan all week -- prompting activists to fight back.

"This whole criminalization thing leads us down a dark path that I'm not here to see -- I'm an American," said Lavender.

A statement from Homeland Security reads in part:

"Our officers are doing their jobs by removing public safety threats and enforcing our nation's immigration laws. Assaulting, resisting, impeding, or harassing ICE officers is against the law. Unfortunately, our ICE officers are facing a 413% increase in assaults while carrying out arrests. The violence against ICE must end."

The NYPD continues to have a presence as it monitors the protest.

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