A disturbing scene unfolded on the streets of New York City on Tuesday as anti-ICE protesters blocked traffic, preventing everyday people from getting to where they needed to be. In footage shared by Turning Point USA contributor Savanah Hernandez, a mother-and-son protest duo is seen laughing and mocking a young black woman who was stuck in the gridlock—desperately pleading with them to let her through so she could get to work. Their response? Smirks and mockery.
With traffic having ground to a halt at a busy intersection, the young woman gets out of her car and begs the mother-son team to let her get through. “I have a kid and I need to go to work.”
The mother snapped, “These people [illegal immigrants] are having their children taken.”
“But what about my kid?” the young woman asked.
Too busy fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants, she replied sharply, “I can’t help you.”
Hernandez asked the protestors, “How do you all feel as white people stopping a black woman from going to work?”
The son, who looked to be in his thirties, turned to Hernandez and said sarcastically, “Oh no, not work.”
As a derisive smile crossed his face, he added, “I care so much.”
Angry and frustrated as one would be, the young woman pointed to the logjam behind her. “Look at this line you guys are causing. I’m not causing any problems. … We’re just trying to leave.”
Ah, the compassionate Left. The arrogance of these anti-ICE protestors was unmistakable as they brought traffic to a standstill in midtown Manhattan, stranding hundreds of New Yorkers without a second thought. With smug indifference, they turned a public street into a political stage—mocking those just trying to live their lives. So much for empathy.
Let’s be clear: peaceful protest does not mean you get to hold innocent people hostage. Blocking traffic, trapping commuters, and physically preventing movement isn’t protest—it’s unlawful detention. Fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants while stepping on the rights of American citizens exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of today’s activist Left.
Protest is about communication, not coercion. Carry a sign, shout your slogans, but don’t stand in the way of people trying to get home, to work, or to the doctor. When you deny someone the right to move freely, you’re not exercising your rights—you’re trampling on theirs. It’s not civil disobedience; it’s an act of aggression.
The New York Post reported that at least 80 protestors were arrested. I sincerely hope this mother/son pair was among those charged.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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