ICE Immigration Raid In Newark Shocks New Jersey: 5 Things To Know

NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a local business in Newark on Thursday, igniting a firestorm of controversy that has many community members speaking out in fear and anger – and others applauding for President Donald Trump.

This week's raid took place just days after Trump’s inauguration. 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.

Trump’s administration didn’t waste any time making its first moves. On his first day in office, the White House announced a sweeping wave of presidential actions and executive orders, including several involving immigration.

“Over the last four years, the United States has endured a large-scale invasion at an unprecedented level,” the Trump administration said. “Millions of illegal aliens from nations and regions all around the world successfully entered the United States where they are now residing.”

“This cannot stand,” the president continued.

WHAT HAPPENED IN NEWARK?

Many specific details about what happened in Newark on Thursday are still unclear, but here’s what we know so far.

According to Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, ICE officers “raided” a local 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.

Baraka said the raid was done without a warrant.

The mayor accused ICE agents of violating the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right against unreasonable searches and seizures.

“Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” he said.

The mayor didn’t name the specific business that was involved in the raid, a promise he said he made to its owner. However, city councilman Michael Silva said the incident took place in the Ironbound section of Newark – a neighborhood known for its heavy population of immigrants.

Multiple news reports have since identified the business as a wholesale seafood distributor on Adams Street.

Speaking a news conference, a representative of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice – a coalition of advocacy groups that has been active within the local community – said the business normally employs between 80 to 90 people per day. She said ICE agents at the scene were “heavily armed” and made their arrival unannounced, making arrests and carrying out interrogations.

“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,” she continued. “And most importantly – they did all of this without being able to produce a single name or a single warrant.”

• See Related: NJ Immigrants Need More Protection From Trump, Activists Tell Governor

LIMITED DETAILS FROM ICE

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

Patch reached out to the federal agency seeking comment about what happened on Thursday. We received the following reply:

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may encounter U.S. citizens while conducting field work and may request identification to establish an individual’s identity as was the case during a targeted enforcement operation at a worksite on Jan. 23 in Newark, New Jersey. This is an active investigation and per ICE policy, we cannot discuss ongoing investigations.”

No further information is available, a spokesperson said Friday morning.

U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), who represents Newark among other municipalities, questioned how ICE agents were able to enter the businesses premises “without a warrant and without justification.”

“Already, Trump’s attacks on immigrant communities are hitting home and we will not back down,” McIver charged.

The congresswoman said her office has reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking more answers about what happened.

So far, they’ve heard nothing back, she said Friday.

ICE shared a social media message on Inauguration Day, welcoming Trump and his new administration and saying it is committed to "protecting the people of the United States" through enforcing immigration law and "preserving national security and public safety."

The agency posted an "enforcement update" on Thursday, sharing two eyebrow-raising statistics: 538 arrests and 373 detainers lodged.

FRIDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

Local elected officials and several immigrant rights groups held a news conference about the raid on Friday afternoon at Newark City Hall. Watch video footage here.

Elected officials present at the meeting included Baraka, McIver, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez Jr., New Jersey Sen. Teresa Ruiz, New Jersey Assembly members Shanique Speight and Eliana Pintor Marin, and members of the Newark City Council.

When a reporter pointed out that the Trump administration has said it will be prosecuting local officials who won’t comply with federal immigration, Baraka – a candidate for governor in 2025 – said he isn’t afraid.

“If he thinks we’re just going to go to jail quietly, he’s got another thing coming,” the mayor said to loud applause.

Other speakers at the news conference expressed a range of emotions, including outrage as well as a desire to rise above the stereotypes and harmful tropes that Trump and his supporters are trying to characterize them by.

“This isn’t about us and them – this is about this country,” Sen. Ruiz said after taking an emotional pause in her speech.

Ruiz said that undocumented immigrants are vital to New Jersey’s economy and contribute lots of local and state taxes – a point that many experts have raised in the past. See Related: NJ Undocumented Immigrants Pay $1B In Taxes, Study Says (Here’s How)

“Immigration raids don’t just affect immigrants – they affect us all,” said Ruiz, who has broken several barriers as a Latina lawmaker in New Jersey.

Advocacy groups present at the news conference included the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, La Casa de Don Pedro, the Ironbound Community Corporation, and the American Friends Services Committee.

“Newark is a sanctuary city,” said Zayid Muhammad of NJ Communities for Accountable Policing, another group that is decrying Thursday’s raid.

“We must unite and protect our communities from a new wave of abusive policing that is being ignited by the advent of the Trump administration,” Muhammad said.

• See Related: NJ Sues Trump Over Ending Birthright Citizenship

ICE RAIDS ALSO HAPPENED UNDER BIDEN’S WATCH

Although the focus on federal immigration enforcement has ramped up since Trump took office, ICE raids also took place in New Jersey during former president Joe Biden’s watch.

A major immigration sweep took place in North Jersey the week before Trump’s inauguration, with ICE’s Newark field office arresting 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes. The federal agency said it targeted “noncitizens” who had felonies or misdemeanors for domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking, and driving under the influence. Read More: Newark ICE Office Makes 33 Arrests, Deportations Loom

In July 2024, ICE carried out an early morning raid in Princeton. U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) said she was “horrified” to learn about the raids, in which ICE agents did not identify themselves, drove into the community and stopped Hispanic/Latinx residents. The agents randomly interrogated them and demanded documentation.

“This kind of conduct has absolutely no place in our community or our country,” the congresswoman said.

• See Related: NJ Activists Say Biden’s Playbook On Immigration Is Similar To Trump’s
• See Related: New Jersey Immigrant Advocates Bash Biden’s Budget Proposal

Prior to New Jersey’s landmark law that banned prisons from making contracts to hold federal immigration detainees, hundreds of people were being arrested and deported from ICE’s Newark field 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

HERE’S HOW NEW JERSEY REACTED

The reactions to Thursday’s raid in Newark have run the political gamut, ranging from “disgust” to applause. There is also an overwhelming feeling of shock, many people have reported.

“ICE was in Newark y’all … it’s getting so real,” a social media user commented Thursday.

Several U.S. Congress members from New Jersey have been demanding more details about what happened.

“ICE carried out an unconstitutional raid in Newark, detaining lawful U.S. citizens, including a veteran who served our country, without a warrant,” Rep. Watson Coleman said.

“This is a flagrant violation of New Jersey's laws, our residents' rights and the Constitution,” she added.

“Congress must demand answers after yesterday's unconstitutional ICE raid in Newark,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. commented. “Unlawfully detaining people, including U.S. citizens and a veteran, without a warrant or justification is unacceptable.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill called the raid “appalling.”

“Law enforcement takes an oath to the Constitution, not to a president or political party,” the congresswoman said. “The Fourth Amendment is bedrock principle, and any violations of those rights are unacceptable.”

New Jersey's two U.S. senators, Newark resident Cory Booker and Andy Kim, also issued a statement about the raid:

“We are deeply concerned about the news of an ICE raid in Newark [on Jan. 23]. Our offices have reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to demand answers. Actions like this one sow fear in all of our communities — and our broken immigration system requires solutions, not fear tactics.”

On the flip side of the coin, Trump’s pledge to carry out one of the largest deportation crackdowns in modern history has seen support from elected officials such as U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2), who chaired the president’s New Jersey campaign last year.

Earlier this week, Van Drew announced that a bill he authored – the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act – was included in the final passage of the Laken Riley Act, a new federal law that requires undocumented immigrants who are arrested for theft or violent crimes to be held in jail while their trials take place.

“The message is clear: if you are an illegal immigrant who assaults the officers who keep us safe, you will be immediately detained and you will be deported,” the congressman wrote, adding that under Trump’s leadership, “we are finally cleaning up the mess created by the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies.”

Others have bashed the Trump administration’s plans, saying that New Jersey is a place where immigrants are welcomed – not feared.

Gov. Phil Murphy has gone on record that his administration will “fight like hell” and “fight to the death” against mass deportations under Trump’s second term.

Many Garden State activists insist more needs to be done, however.

After Trump’s first day in office, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ) – which has been helping to spearhead the resistance effort in the Garden State – launched a “Know Your Rights” campaign in nearly two dozen cities and towns. Outreach has been taking place in municipalities including Newark, Jersey City, Passaic, Hackensack, Perth Amboy, Kearny, Paterson, Trenton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, Plainfield, Garfield, Union City, Bayonne, Linden, Clifton, East Orange, Sayreville, West New York and Fort Lee.

The ACLU of New Jersey recently posted a guide offering advice for “What to do if you’re approached by immigration officials in New Jersey,” which can be seen online here.

Meanwhile, New Jersey education officials released new guidance for schools about ICE raids after the Trump administration announced that it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals – ending a policy that had been in effect since 2011. Read More: If ICE Comes To School: NJ Issues Guidelines For Educators, Staff

Thursday’s raid in Newark has stoked these fears to a fever pitch, activists say.

Immigration advocacy group Make the Road New Jersey said the raid is “yet another example of how the Trump administration's anti-immigrant agenda harms everyone.”

“No one is safe when armed officers are empowered to raid our homes, our workplaces and our communities,” said the group's deputy director, Nedia Morsy.

Ana Maria Hill, the New Jersey state director for 32BJ SEIU – the largest property service workers union in the country – said raids on workplaces are “cruel and destabilizing.”

“Hardworking people shouldn't have to fear making a living for their families – and children shouldn’t have to fear that their parents aren’t going to come home from work,” Hill said.

The New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus, which is made up of state senators and assembly members, said the raid has sparked "chaos and fear" in Newark households and workplaces.

"These raids create a chilling effect that endangers public safety and discourages law-abiding residents from utilizing vital services," the lawmakers said. "The ripple effects of such raids are far-reaching: students miss school, workers stay home, and individuals avoid seeking medical care due to the fear of deportation. This situation undermines the very core of our communities and puts lives at risk."

"We cannot continue to target individuals who, regardless of their background, are simply striving to achieve the American Dream," the lawmakers added.

Meanwhile, people have given mixed reactions to the raid on the internet.

Many have denounced ICE and called for resistance. “U.S. military veteran unlawfully detained in Newark ICE raid,” one commenter wrote, calling the incident a “disgusting violation of Constitutional rights and disrespect for our military.”

Many others have supported the raid and praised Trump, however:

• "Thank you Newark ICE for arresting criminal illegal migrants today and those who aided in harboring illegal criminals. Newark citizens are for legal immigration. Not illegal immigration. It's unfortunate Newark politicians aren't aligned with their constituents."
• "You just need to step aside and let ICE do their job. A lot of people in Newark voted for this to happen."

The debate has continued on social media. As seen online:

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