Tourists, too, noticed the change. Abby Ivers, a college student from Georgia visiting with her sister, said shopping for knockoffs was a part of their New York ritual.
“We were worried that they were not going to be out here anymore,” Ivers said, moments after her backstreet purchase on Thursday. “It’s just really sad — I mean this is how they make their money, even if it’s technically not the best way of doing that.”
At least one storeowner voiced his support for the crackdown.
“On the street with the vendors, people cannot even walk on the sidewalk,” said David Gonzales, manager of a Canal Street gift store near Cortlandt Alley. “Now they can. I’m OK with it [federal action]. I’m legal. I do everything legal here so I don’t have anything to be worried about.”
Advocates call for more support
Bethany Li, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, whose offices are located blocks away from the site of the raid, denounced ICE’s actions.
“What we saw in terms of the threats and intimidation from federal law enforcement on Canal Street was horrific,” Li said. “These raids are impacting so many communities of color across the board.”
But, Li said, the raid also showed how public resistance to ICE’s action is building. Protesters gathered at nearby Foley Square on Wednesday to draw attention to the raid.
“I think it’s so important for essentially bystanders to be standing up for immigrants because not all immigrants can resist in that same way,” she said.
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