NJ Man Released By ICE After 67 Days, Mayor Says

METUCHEN, NJ — After spending 67 days in Delaney Hall, a Metuchen resident has been released from the custody of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mayor Jonathan Busch said.

Sener Kalkan, whose wife, Jennifer Poandl, is a Metuchen native, was detained by ICE in early December after he appeared in Newark for a scheduled hearing as part of his immigration process.

After he attended the hearing, passed his scheduled interview, and was given a future court date, he and his wife stepped out to lunch, Busch said. When Kalkan returned to pick up paperwork, he was detained by ICE officials.

According to Busch, Kalkan fled persecution in Turkey tied to his Kurdish heritage and faith before coming to New Jersey.

In a statement previously sent to Patch, an ICE spokesperson said Kalkan came to the U.S. in May 2022 under “catch and release” policies.

"Catch and release" is a term often used to describe the process where certain immigrants are apprehended and released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody pending their immigration court proceedings.

“Sener Kalkan is an illegal alien from Türkiye who illegally entered the United States in May 2022, under the Biden administration’s disastrous 'catch and release' policies,” the spokesperson said.

Patch has reached out to ICE and Busch for further information on Kalkan’s release from custody.

“After 67 long and painful days in Delaney Hall, Sener is finally home in Metuchen, back where he belongs,” Busch said in an online post. “When Sener was detained, our community made a simple promise: we would not rest until he was home. And we kept it.”

“Residents spoke up. Neighbors showed up. Community members rallied, made calls, sent emails, and reached out to our federal representatives,” he continued. “We pulled every appropriate lever available to us on behalf of our neighbor. This moment at their home tonight is the result of that collective effort.”

Following Kalkan’s detainment in early December, hundreds of community members came together with local officials and religious leaders to support Kalkan’s family in their fight to have him released from Delaney Hall.

Alongside the local community, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) also issued a statement in support of Kalkan, saying that “at its core, this is about human dignity.”

“No family should live in fear or uncertainty because of arbitrary detention practices that disregard due process and compassion,” CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said. “CAIR-NJ stands with the Kalkan family and all those calling for an immigration system rooted in justice, mercy, and basic human decency.”

• Read More: Muslim Asylum Seeker Jailed At Newark ICE Facility, Civil Rights Group Demands His Release

In an online post, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) celebrated Kalkan’s release from Delaney Hall, adding that he’s “overjoyed to see Sener back home in Metuchen, where he belongs.”

“He’s our neighbor, and we can’t allow Trump’s ICE and DHS to steal our neighbors and chip away at our communities with impunity,” Pallone said.

While Busch described Kalkan’s release as “an incredible outcome, and one we should acknowledge with pride,” he said it also reminds the community of “something harder.”

“We have learned that the cases that receive the most attention are often the ones that move, while thousands of others remain unseen,” Busch said. “There are so many families still waiting for a moment like this.”

“My hope is that what Metuchen did here inspires others to speak up when something is plainly unjust,” he continued. “To say, clearly and without hesitation: this is not fair. And to stand together until dignity and due process prevail.”

“Welcome home, Sener," Busch said. "Metuchen is so glad you’re back.”

Previous Coverage

• ‘He Did Exactly What Was Asked Of Him’: Metuchen Resident Detained By ICE, Mayor Says
• Muslim Asylum Seeker Jailed At Newark ICE Facility, Civil Rights Group Demands His Release