In the 1920s, New York Harbor was a major international gateway to the United States of America, bustling with maritime traffic, including large passenger liners from Europe. Beneath the surface of this ordinary No-Maj activity, the harbor also served as a crucial entry point for the American wizarding community. MACUSA maintained a discreet but firm presence at the port to monitor and process witches and wizards arriving from overseas. This included a magical customs checkpoint integrated with the standard No-Maj inspection area. Arriving magical individuals were required to declare any enchanted items or magical creatures in their possession. This security was particularly stringent in the mid-1920s due to the global threat posed by the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).
New York Harbor is the first location seen in Newt Scamander's American journey in 1926 (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). Upon disembarking from a passenger liner, Newt Scamander proceeds through customs. A faulty latch on his magical suitcase, combined with the escape of his mischievous Niffler, draws unwanted attention from officials. While attempting to retrieve the Niffler from a bank, Newt accidentally swaps his suitcase with an identical one belonging to No-Maj cannery worker Jacob Kowalski. This single event at the harbor serves as the inciting incident for the entire plot, leading to the widespread escape of Newt's magical creatures across New York City and his subsequent involvement with both MACUSA and Jacob Kowalski. The harbor is therefore the critical starting point for the events that would eventually lead to a confrontation with Gellert Grindelwald on American soil.
New York Harbor does not appear in the original seven *Harry Potter* novels. Its depiction and significance in the wizarding world are derived entirely from the film *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*. The film portrays the harbor as it would have appeared in December 1926, capturing the historical feel of the era for both the magical and non-magical worlds.