BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Federal immigration agents detained someone near an elementary school in Bloomfield on Wednesday morning, setting off a temporary shelter-in-place, authorities said.
The incident took place outside Berkeley Elementary School, according to a statement from Superintendent Joseph Fleres.
According to the superintendent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detained an adult walking on the public sidewalk. As a precautionary measure, the building was temporarily put in a "shelter-in-place" based on initial reports received by the main office.
No child or staff member was in danger at any time, Fleres said.
"We understand that news like this can cause deep concern for our families," Fleres continued. "Please be assured that our schools remain safe, welcoming environments for every student.Under New Jersey law and New Jersey Department of Education guidance, all children have a constitutional right to an education regardless of immigration status, and state directives strictly limit local school involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement."
"Our security protocols remain firm, and unauthorized access to our buildings is never allowed," the superintendent said.
Fleres said that any local families who need support can reach out to their school's principal or counseling services.
According to the Bloomfield Immigrant Justice Network, a community member witnessed the incident, which took place around 9 a.m.
"As you can see, this was a masked agent parked next to the school in an unmarked ford explorer with no front license plate – a clear violation of the Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act that remains active in New Jersey," the group said, sharing a photo taken at the scene.
"This report came after a separate 7:30 a.m. ICE sighting that was confirmed by our rapid response team this morning on the border of Bloomfield and Newark, where two men were detained from a work vehicle," the group added.
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Federal immigration agents made appearances in the Bloomfield-Montclair area earlier this month, detaining four people on Elm Street near Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. Advocates shared a video taken at the scene of the arrest, which shows multiple agents handcuffing a person near a work van with open doors.
Another recent ICE appearance took place on the morning of Aug. 19, when two employees at Raymond's on Church Street in Montclair were among six people who were detained by federal immigration agents. The workers were reportedly on the way to their jobs at the time.
ICE said the detentions were part of "routine immigration enforcement" being conducted in the area. All of the detainees are accused of unlawfully entering the U.S., authorities said.
The incident sparked a protest in support of the detainees near the area where the workers were taken into federal custody. Nearby in Bloomfield, community members held a vigil at the Historic Park on the Green to protest the federal immigration crackdown. Attendees hoisted candles and gave speeches, calling for the defunding of ICE and the closure of Delaney Hall, a federal immigration detention center in Newark that hold detainees from across New Jersey.
Other recent ICE activity has included:
ICE IN ESSEX COUNTY
Montclair and Bloomfield aren't the only Essex County towns that have seen visits from ICE in recent months.
In July, several landscapers were arrested on Rutgers Street and Van Reyper Place in Belleville. Each was accused of being "unlawfully present in the United States."
In August, federal immigration agents arrested four people in the South Orange-Maplewood area, including two roofers, a handyman and the sous chef at a local restaurant.
Several high-profile arrests have also taken place in the state's largest city, Newark – which also saw an ICE-related car chase last winter.
Homeland Security officials, including Secretary Markwayne Mullin, have insisted that ICE is going after some of the "worst of the worst" criminals in the nation.
"Every day, the patriots of ICE are working to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country," he said Thursday, sharing a list of recent arrests that have been taking place across the U.S.
Advocates and family members of ICE detainees have pushed back against the claim that most of them are "criminals," however.
In April, data research organization Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse reported that out of 60,311 people held in ICE detention across the nation, about 70.8 percent had no criminal conviction before being apprehended – and many of those who do were convicted only of minor offenses such as traffic violations.
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