ICE Arrests Sex Offender In Newark, Controversy Continues To Rage

NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents recently apprehended a registered sex offender in New Jersey’s largest city, authorities announced Monday.

Jorge Luis Sanchez-Luna, 45, was arrested on Feb. 4 in Newark, according to a statement from the federal agency.

Sanchez-Luna, a citizen of Mexico, entered the United States in October 2015 as a lawful permanent resident in New York. He was found guilty of endangering-sexual conduct with child by caretaker in Monmouth County, New Jersey in July 2024, and sentenced to parole supervision for life. He was also required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, authorities said.

ICE issued Sanchez-Luna a notice to appear before a U.S. Department of Justice immigration judge following his arrest last week.

The Newark field office is located at 970 Broad Street, and processes federal detainees from across the state.

The allegations against Sanchez-Luna are similar to ones made during another recent wave of ICE arrests in the region, which took place while former president Joe Biden was still in office.

ICE-Newark agents arrested 33 “non-citizens” in New Jersey during a weeklong “targeted surge operation” between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13. The agency said officers went after people who have committed or been accused of crimes including domestic violence, sexual abuse, burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, drug distribution and driving under the influence. Read More: Newark ICE Office Makes 33 Arrests, Deportations Loom

Immigration advocates from Newark and North Jersey protested against federal immigration policies throughout the Biden administration. But the spotlight has intensified since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

As part of his campaign platform, the president vowed to immediately launch a nationwide immigration crackdown, including in sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal agencies. Several municipalities in New Jersey have declared “sanctuary” status, including the state’s largest city, Newark.

On Jan. 23, just days after Trump took office, ICE agents appeared at a local seafood distributor in Newark, igniting a firestorm of controversy that saw many community members speaking out in fear and anger – and others applauding for President Donald Trump.

According to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, ICE officers “raided” the business and detained three undocumented residents. Federal immigration agents also detained multiple U.S. citizens, fingerprinting them and taking photos of their faces and IDs. They included a U.S. military veteran who showed the officers his military identification – but was detained and questioned anyway.

“They were blocking off entrances and exits, they were scrambling up delivery ramps, they were banging down bathroom doors to make sure no one was hiding inside,” a local immigration advocate said. “And most importantly – they did all of this without being able to produce a single name or a single warrant.”

ICE spokespeople have only released limited details about the incident, calling it a “targeted enforcement operation” in a statement – not a “raid.”

>> Related: Immigration Raid In Newark Shocks New Jersey (5 Things To Know)

The family member of an undocumented immigrant arrested on Jan. 23 said that her cousin – a native of Ecuador – doesn’t have a criminal record.

“My primo is the sweetest, kindest, most hardworking person you’ll ever meet,” she told NJ Advance Media, adding that he “pays all his bills on time, has never gotten into any trouble and is the type of person to do just about everything right.” Read More: Man Arrested In Newark ICE Raid Isn’t A Criminal, Cousin Says

Many advocates have claimed that immigrants in the United States commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population. Meanwhile, migrants are often more likely to be victims of crime than native-born Americans, some studies say.

Prior to New Jersey’s landmark law that banned prisons from making contracts to hold detainees for ICE, 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

ICE and private prison companies are reportedly seeking to add more detention space in New Jersey, despite the state’s ban. Read More: ICE Plans Major Detention Facility Expansion In NJ

Catch up with some of our recent immigration-related articles in Newark below:

ICE Raids: NJ Prison Gets Surprise Visit From 3 Congress Members

Three New Jersey lawmakers made an unannounced visit to the state's only operational privately contracted ICE detention center – here's why.

Newark Councilman: Deport Criminals, But Open 'Pathway To Citizenship'

There's more than one way to look at the immigration crisis, a Newark councilman said in the wake of a controversial ICE raid.

‘Know Your Rights’: Newark Groups Offer Advice For NJ Immigrants

Stay silent. Ask to speak to a lawyer. And don't run. These are some tips from local activists as a national ICE crackdown continues.

NJ Undocumented Immigrants Pay $1B In Taxes, Study Says (Here’s How)

Do undocumented immigrants pay taxes? They sure do, a new study says. But others argue that there's a flip side to the coin.

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