Metuchen Resident Returns Home After 2 Months In ICE Detention

METUCHEN, NJ – Metuchen resident Sener Kalkan returned home this week after spending 67 days at Delaney Hall immigration detention facility, Mayor Jonatham M Busch said.

Kalkan's wife, Jennifer Poandl, confirmed his return home following efforts by community members who contacted federal representatives, organized rallies, and maintained pressure on officials throughout his detention.

"When Sener was detained, our community made a simple promise: we would not rest until he was home," Busch said in a Facebook post after visiting the couple at their home. "And we kept it."

Kalkan, whose wife Jennifer Poandl is a Metuchen native, was detained in 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.

When he returned to pick up paperwork, Kalkan was detained by ICE officials while his wife waited in the lobby.

After Kalkan was detained Metuchen residents mobilized, starting a sustained advocacy campaign for his release.

The campaign involved residents making phone calls, sending emails to federal officials, and coordinating outreach through multiple channels. Community members attended rallies and worked with representatives to advocate for his release.

Busch acknowledged that while Kalkan's release represents a positive outcome, it also highlights broader concerns about the immigration detention system.

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

He expressed hope that Metuchen's successful advocacy effort could serve as a model for other towns facing similar situations with detained residents.

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

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

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