ICE Arrests NJ Restaurant Owner In Newark, Reports Say

NEWARK, NJ — ICE agents in Newark arrested the owner of a Somerset County restaurant earlier this week, reports say.

Ming Xi Zhang was arrested Monday in Newark, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

Zhang, who was previously convicted of “acting as an agent of a foreign government,” is potentially facing deportation, authorities say.

According to a statement from ICE, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey convicted Zhang – a native of China – for illegally acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General. He was sentenced to probation for a term of three years in April 2024.

ICE noted that Zhang lawfully entered the United States in June 2000 at the Los Angeles International Airport.

“However, he violated the terms of his lawful admission,” the agency stated.

“Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage or export control against the United States is subject to deportation,” ICE enforcement and removal operations-Newark field office director John Tsoukaris said.

The agency didn’t elaborate on the current or previous allegations against Zhang in their statement. He remains in ICE custody, officials said Wednesday.

Zhang is the owner and operator of YaYa Noodles at the Montgomery Shopping Center in Skillman, multiple reports say.

Known as “Sushi John” to some local residents, Zhang has been praised for his culinary prowess, once serving a well-received lunchtime meal to celebrity chef Bobby Flay. He studied electrical engineering at Ocean University of China in Qingdao, worked in human resources for the government, and opened up a restaurant before moving to the United States in 2000 when the Chinese economy was struggling, reports say.

• See Related: Jersey Kebab To Reopen After Restaurant Owners Are Freed From ICE Custody

ICE IN NEWARK

Zhang’s case is the latest in a string of ICE arrests that have been taking place in New Jersey’s largest city.

In January, ICE agents made national headlines when they raided a local seafood distributor in the city, igniting a firestorm of controversy. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said that three undocumented residents were detained, along with multiple U.S. citizens – including a military veteran. The raid – which was done in a section of the city with a dense population of immigrants – took place without a warrant, he said. Read More: ICE Immigration Raid In Newark Shocks New Jersey (5 Things To Know)

Another high-profile ICE arrest took place in February, when agents apprehended a registered sex offender who entered the United States in October 2015 as a lawful permanent resident. Read More: ICE Arrests Sex Offender In Newark, Controversy Continues To Rage

A major immigration sweep also took place in North Jersey the week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, with ICE’s Newark field office arresting 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes. Read More: Newark ICE Office Makes 33 Arrests, Deportations Loom

The Newark field office is located at 970 Broad Street, and processes federal detainees from across the state. Before New Jersey’s ban on ICE contracts took effect in 2021, hundreds of people were being arrested and deported from the Newark office every month. Read More: ICE In NJ Deported 500 People From Country In 3 Months, Feds Say

That number may be set to rise again if a plan to open a massive immigration detention center in the city comes to fruition.

Last month, ICE officials confirmed plans to “reopen” a 1,000-bed facility at Delaney Hall in Newark. It will be the first federal detention center to open under Trump’s second term. No specific date was released, but officials said the reopening is “imminent.”

• See Related: ICE Detention Center In NJ Is First To Open Under Trump's New Term
• See Related: Hundreds Protest Against Reopening ICE Detention Facility In Newark

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