ISTANBUL

Four US citizens were detained for nearly 24 hours without being charged during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in New York’s Chinatown on Tuesday, ABC News reported.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman condemned the incident as a “lawless terror,” saying, “ICE is not allowed to arrest American citizens.” He added that the four were held at 26 Federal Plaza and released about 30 minutes after his press conference was announced.

“This is not normal in democracies,” said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, at the same press conference.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, nine undocumented immigrants were also taken into custody during the raid.

“You will see us making those criminal arrests to make New York safe again,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told an interviewer Wednesday. “It’s definitely intelligence-driven; it’s not random.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the launch of an online portal where the public can upload videos or photos of ICE activity, saying that allegations of “unlawful questioning, detention, or intimidation” would be investigated.

“No one should be subject to unlawful questioning, detention or intimidation,” James said.

A New York City Hall spokesperson and the New York Police Department (NYPD) both said they had no involvement in the federal operation.

According to NYPD data, overall crime rates in New York City are near historic lows.

US President Donald Trump is known for his hardline immigration policies, which have focused on tightening border controls, limiting legal immigration and increasing deportations.

In his landmark funding bill, he allocated over $150 billion to supercharge mass deportations and detentions. According to Amnesty International, ICE is now armed with a budget larger than nearly every military on Earth.