Newark ICE Office Makes 33 Arrests, Deportations Loom

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with the agency's field office in Newark recently arrested 33 non-citizens who have committed or been accused of crimes, the agency announced Thursday.

The arrests were made during a weeklong “targeted surge operation” between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13, according to ICE spokespeople.

ICE’s ERO division manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process through the operation of 25 field offices nationwide that report to its headquarters. The Newark field office is located at 970 Broad Street, and processes detainees from across the state.

According to a news release from the agency:

“ERO Newark officers specifically targeted noncitizens for apprehension 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. Officers also targeted noncitizens with an executable final order of removal who have re-entered the U.S. illegally after having been previously removed.”

According to the ICE-Newark field office, those apprehended during the sweep include:

• “An unlawfully present national of Brazil who has pending aggravated assault charges”
• “An unlawfully present national of the Dominican Republic who has convictions for aggravated manslaughter and obstructing the administration of law”
• “An unlawfully present national of the Dominican Republic convicted of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child”
• “An unlawfully present national of Costa Rica who has pending charges of cruelty to animals, pay admission to fighting animals, and animal fighting paraphernalia”
• “An unlawfully present national of Mexico convicted of sexual assault of a minor-victim 13 to 15-years-old”
• “An unlawfully present national of Brazil with pending charges of terroristic threats, harassment, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon”
• “An unlawfully present national of Brazil convicted of murder”

Anyone arrested and detained during the sweep will remain in ICE custody pending their deportation hearings, authorities said.

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

Several immigrant rights groups in New Jersey have been pleading for more protection amid the upcoming second term of president-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to increase deportations when he takes over the White House.

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.

• See Related: NJ Immigrants Need More Protection From Trump, Activists Tell Governor
• See Related: Religious Leaders Unite In Newark To Oppose Mass Deportations

ICE raids have stirred up controversy in other parts of New Jersey.

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.

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