‘Bad Hombres’: Jessica Tarlov Admits NYC Anti-ICE Protesters Were In The Wrong

Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov admitted Wednesday on Fox News’ “The Five” that anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters in New York City were in the wrong as officials made arrests on Canal Street.

A large group of protesters had gathered in the streets after federal agents detained nine illegal immigrants on Canal Street. While discussing the protests against the agents’ actions, Fox’s Greg Gutfeld described the area as “a drug-fueled haze of men yelling at each other,” to which Tarlov responded. (RELATED: ‘No Kings’ Protester Calls For ICE Agents To Be ‘Shot And Wiped Out’)

“This would not have been the moment that I would have spoken out against ICE,” Tarlov said. “You know, it is not only a blight on the neighborhood in terms of navigability and what it looks like and convenience and all of the things. But a lot of these guys are actually the ‘bad hombres’ that [President Donald] Trump was talking about, but from Africa mostly.”

According to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE conducted a targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation on Canal Street, focusing on “criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods.” The DHS said that during the operation, “violent rioters” assaulted and attempted to “obstruct law enforcement by blocking vehicles.”

During the protest, NewsNation correspondent Jessica Kartalija was on the ground reporting, capturing the moment an alleged agitator was arrested by officials. Kartalija noted that the individual had been seen pushing ICE agents and police officers prior to the arrest.

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Tarlov continued, stating that the footage captured from Tuesday’s incident “supersedes the story” she believes is “valid to tell about what ICE is doing in other places.”

“You saw as well that the NYPD [New York Police Department] posted that they weren’t involved in this at all, in this particular raid, which obviously got a lot of national attention,” Tarlov added.

“But the NYPD does regularly do this or breaks it up. They’re not necessarily taking them in to deport them. So, not thrilled with this particular example,” Tarlov continued. “You know, there’s a lot of reason to not like ICE. I would not have been in that group.”

Tarlov has previously defended pushback against the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, stating on Friday during “The Five” that there is an “intellectual” argument for why anti-ICE protesters in Portland are dressing up as inflatable animals. Tarlov has also criticized the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal migrants like Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.

Among the arrests made on Tuesday, DHS noted that some of the suspects’ rap sheets include robbery, burglary, domestic violence, assaulting law enforcement, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, drug possession and forgery.

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